Monday, February 15, 2010

Re-inventing yourself: Starting a new career

I came across an adage often voiced by Bonnie Price of WomenEntrepreneur.com, which rings so true to me "... we don't retire, we re-invent ourselves". I am 79 years old and have been re-inventing myself my whole life. I have never faded into the woodwork! I have approached each phase of my life pro-actively and made sure it was the best phase yet. I have learned how to leverage my past and present experiences and passions to design a present that is fulfilling.

I have had two very fulfilling long-term careers, and am in the process of embarking on the third.I've had so many different jobs, taken so many classes, engaged in so many activities, that I would have lost count, if it weren't for the fact that each one was, and still is, intrinsically enmeshed with all the others. Along the way, some folks said I was scattered in too many directions. But. I never understood why time spent taking classes that weren't totally related to one's chosen profession, or traveling, or experiencing life's various and engaging activities was a waste of time.

Everything you do prepares you for the future. It depends on how you look at it and what you do with it, whether or not it turns out to be a waste of time.Try looking at your past in a little different way. Sit down and make a list of all the major experiences and jobs (big and small), training in school and at home, and travel experiences you've had in your life. Next to them, write what you learned from each one (e. g. landscaping, photography, air travel, pottery, cooking, etc). You certainly have been exposed to a variety of occupations and interesting activities in your life. All of these can be turned into careers.

Now, write down the major negative experiences and disappointments you had. Next to those, write what positive things you might have learned from these situations . Don't focus on the negative. For example, having cancer and having to go for radiation every day for 8 weeks, taught me how dedicated many of the care-takers at the treatment center were. I observed the work they did, the activities they engaged in, the hospital set up,A divorce can introduce you to the fields of law, counseling, and social work. The loss of a job can start you looking in different directions. Everywhere you look, there are possibilities for careers.

If this doesn't reveal something to you, tap into your hobbies, interests and, especially, what you might be passionate about (e. g. butterflies, golf, gardening, etc) . Be creative. Make extensive lists of what you find interesting. Get on the web and research types of careers available and educational institutions. Check out workshops and classes at your local community college, or YMCA. Keep and open mind, then make an appointment with a career counselor.




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Monday, February 8, 2010

The job interview: Confused about what kind of salary to ask for?

what kind of salary should you ask for?
So you finally got that interview you've been vying for. It's going along pretty well, you feel somewhat relaxed and good about it. The questions are not too difficult and your answers have been right on. Then the next question stops you dead in your tracks. " And what did you have in mind in the way of salary?" you hear the interviewer saying. Oh my gosh, you're thinking I don't know. I'll take whatever I can get. You've been out of a job for six months and that's your first reaction. But this is not a good response.

Do your homework
Don't say a word, unless you've thought this through ahead of time. You must be prepared for this type of question. If you ask for too much, you could lose the job hands down. If you don't ask for enough, you may not get what a potential employer is willing to pay. It's absolutely essential that you do some research in an effort to find out what jobs in this particular industry are going for. This way you will have facts to back up your response. You need to take into consideration where the job is located, what position you're applying for and in what industry or profession it is.

First, analyze you're current situation and figure out how much you need to live on. Factor in your rent, utilities, food, supplies and so forth. Don't forget your car payment, clothing and some money left over to spend time with friends on an occasional evening out. Your minimum take home pay should cover all of these expenses.

Check out the Internet
Next, Get on the internet and check out web sites that specialize in salary information You can also google particular career areas which may produce salary information on the job or company you're seeking information about. Try " salary information" or "medical assistant salry information" or whatever job you're applying for. Finally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and many trade and professional publications will include this type of information.

Click here for more About careers




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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Why you should use social networking as a marketing tool

One of the easiest ways to stay in the forefront of customers minds, whether you have a product to sell or are providing a service, is through social networking. Louisville has not lost its edge in providing resources for businesses, new and old, large and small. There are plenty of resources here and they are easily accessible to those who are interested.

Whether you are interested in face to face networking or networking online via social media, you can find plenty of help and information locally. Gini Dietricht, president and ceo of a large corporation, referring to social media, recently stated on facebook and twitter that "...the bottom line is that [business owners] cannot afford to ignore this growing trend. As over your head as it may seem, it is not.

The point of social media is to build relationships...In the offline world, brands spend millions of dollars and create loyalty for years...In the online world, you no longer need to spend millions to engage."The success of social media on line sitesAccording to the New York times, (July, 2009), the reason why Social media networking is such a huge success is because of it's friend-of-a-friend (FOAF) trust model similar to word of mouth (WOM).

A recent study revealed that, while 14% people Trust Ads, 76% of people trust consumer recommendations for purchase decisions more. Since the FOAF model enables users to interact with network users to whom they are not otherwise directly connected, users can establish different rules of engagement for different types of connections in their networks. The closer the connection to a user in terms of degrees of separation, the more trusted that user is.

This is the key difference between Social networking and traditional SEO or PPC strategies. Users maintain direct connections to their friends, but they also have some level of access to the direct connections their friends maintain to other people. Public social networking services such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Friendster can be valuable sales, marketing and support tools if you know how to effectively apply them for your business*First in a series of articles on social networking.

For more information on social networking in Louisville:
Louisville Social Media Club
Social Media Explorer consultancy
Jay Lane MediaLouisville Business Exchange



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