Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Are You Hiring the Best People to Manage Your Projects

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Are You Hiring the Best People to Manage Your Projects When you bring in new project managers, do you do so strategically? Interviewing is subjective, of course, but for the essential job of Project Manager, you want your process to be as bulletproof as possible. After all, ending up with a bad Project Manager could cost you big time. Fortunately, PMO director Russell Harley is here to share his best practices for making the right hiring decisions upfront. Alexandra Levit: Russell, what’s the biggest mistake that hiring managers make when recruiting new PMs? Russell Harley: They use generic job descriptions. You’ll see things like “good communication skills,” “be a self-starter,” and “work well with teams.” Well, job descriptions like this will quickly get you overrun with responses that are hardly targeted. So instead of wasting time with vagaries, describe the details of the actual project, and if you want it done using a certain methodology, say so. While stellar project managers can usually work on any type of project, there are certain projects we really enjoy doing versus ones we are capable of doing but would prefer not to. By putting the specific needs for the position into the job description, you are far more likely to get responses from project managers who really want to do that type of project. And wouldn’t you rather have someone leading the team who doesn’t think of it like a dentist appointment? Alex: Do you recommend hiring PMs for specific technical skills? Russell: Someone once commented on my blog that a good project manager’s knowledge is a mile wide and an inch deep. Technical skills can often be learned, but excellent PM skills are harder to come by. By requiring PMs to have very specialized knowledge, you will dramatically reduce the pool of applicants, and an outstanding PM who could do amazing things for your company might be left out. Deciding on what is truly needed for every position will save you time and attract the right people. For more of Russells tips, have a look at the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Resume Writing Skills - How to Improve Your Resume Writing Skills

Resume Writing Skills - How to Improve Your Resume Writing SkillsI've seen quite a few job seekers who want to know how to improve their resume writing skills, but have no idea where to find the relevant information they need. Even more frustrating is that these people end up doing some of the things they don't need to do to make their resumes effective. Let's take a look at a few of the most common mistakes that people make when writing their resumes.The first mistake you'll notice is that most people are not doing their research before they start writing their resume. By 'researching' I mean researching the person who will be reading your resume and their qualifications to see what kind of response they get in the same job position. It is easy to look for qualifications on resumes but a more difficult task to find them in employer postings.So what should you do instead? You should start by finding out what kind of experience they have in the industry, how long they've been there, a nd what kind of job they're seeking. You will want to include all of this information when you write your resume.Another mistake many people make is that they don't write down all of the key words in their resume and they think it's perfectly okay to just use a one-liner that has only one or two important words in it. I'm sorry to tell you, but you should never use one-liners. Using one-liners in your resume will show that you have no clue about what you're talking about and that you really do not care about the job.Next, some people write their resume and immediately send it in to Odesk Answers without doing any kind of editing. I don't know about you, but I have an idea of what my resume looks like before I send it to Odesk Answers. Idon't know if you've ever been in a job interview where they don't ask you questions and just give you a standard resume, but if you have then you understand how important it is to edit your resume properly before you send it off.The reason why I say edit your resume is because that's what they want to see - your resume before they send it to Odesk Answers. They are only going to hire someone who has the correct resume.So if you are sending your resume to Odesk Answers without editing, you need to be prepared to have a lot of rejection letters in your inbox. You can fix this by turning in your resume with a much better edit. Take a few minutes to really look over your resume and fix any mistakes that you can find.Of course you can always turn in your resume with an edit as well, but Odesk Answers is probably not going to accept a resume without an edit. If you really need to have an edit done, you might as well write a new resume and send it off.

Holiday Android 3 Gifts For The Android Lover

Holiday Android 3 Gifts For The Android Lover The holidays are fast approaching. Somehow, each day that passes brings you closer to them, but you’re still nowhere nearer to figuring out what to get your significant other. If you’re starting to panic because of the pressure, first, dab the sweat off your brow line; it’s going to be okay. Second, check in with this list of holiday gifts for the Android lover in your life. A New Handset Perhaps the most expensive option on the list is also one of the most thoughtful. If their old Moto G is struggling under the weight of bloatware, taking forever to load even the simplest apps, or typing strange things thanks to a damaged screen, treat them to a new smartphone. From the Pixel XL to the new Galaxy Note 8, there are a lot of Androids that would make your loved one happy, so you have your work cut out for you. If you aren’t sure where to start, do some snooping, and see which handset has the best overall scores from critics. Talk to the reps of your cell phone carrier when you pass by their kiosk at the mall. They can help you parse through the reviews. Don’t forget to remember your partner! It’s for them, after all. If they’re a Google fan, then the XL is the better option, but if they’re a Samsung devotee than the latest Note 8 would be the phone to win over their hearts. Whichever you choose, complete the gift package with hardware like Galaxy Note 8 skins. These thin yet durable accessory protects the handset from wear and tear, grime, and even spilled liquids. Best of all you can customize its design to make your Galaxy Note 8 stand out from the crowd, so your loved one knows it’s for them and only them. Chromecast You don’t need to check your shared Netflix history to know your Android lover is a serial binge-watcher. Between re-watches of Stranger Things 2, Mindhunter, and OitNB, your SO is caught up on every new release and more. You might as well make it easier for them to consume every episode of their next fixation with Chromecast. This little dongle fits neatly into any TV’s HDMI port, instantly unlocking any streaming service they have a subscription to. Through the magic of Wi-Fi and other components we don’t understand, Chromecast links your bae’s smartphone (that new Note 8, right?) to the TV, so they only need to swipe their thumb to start a new series. Chromecast is at its best if it’s linking several services, so complement the dongle with subscriptions to other streaming channels. Cover the updated cost of Netflix, or get them a new membership to Hulu. If they’re like these huge Game of Thrones fans, a subscription to HBO Now is in order. There are ton of services available today, and many of them have overlapping content, so do a bit of research to find out the best one for your honey’s streaming predilections. Wireless Charging Dock Between both of your phones, laptops, and speakers, plus the TV and Xbox, there are a lot of wires cluttering up your home. If your partner’s more than a little OCD, they may have a short fuse when it comes to plugging gadgets into long cords. Short of snipping each wire and throwing your beloved-tech out the window, you’ll find it hard to eliminate all the cord-based clutter in your home, but you can reduce the number of cables giving your loved one anxiety. Choose a wireless charging dock for their devices. They come in unexpected shapes and sizes, so you can find something that would fit in with Blade Runner 2049 or opt for something that could be mistaken for an indoor garden. Better yet, head to IKEA to find docks disguised as furniture â€" or is that the other way around? A gift that can play double duty will earn you double the amount of brownie points. Just remember that as you go shopping this December. Though these are just three options, any of these gifts suggested today will take the pressure off your holidays because they wear more than one hat. If your special someone holds a special place in their heart for everything Android, get them something they’ll use and love by wrapping up something from this list.

11 Ways to Ensure Your Brand Is Authentic - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

11 Ways to Ensure Your Brand Is Authentic - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Its often said that authenticity is one of the keys to a successful brand and is essential to retaining customers or clients. Yet, efforts to appear authentic may have the opposite effect if those efforts dont feel genuine to followers. What is your best tip for ensuring a truly authentic brand identity that customers believe and connect with? These answers are provided by  Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched  BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. Build Trust We communicate authenticity through our brand by having a consistent presence across all of our digital channels. A key component of being authentic is building trust with your constituents, which includes your team, clients, partners and social media followers. All of our messaging (digital and offline) is aligned with our company vision and our core values. For example, one of these values is to be altruistic. We regularly share our team’s volunteer activities across social media illustrating our commitment to our social impact programs.  Michael Kurland,  Branded Group Inc 2. Talk with Your Customers However you slice and dice it, your brand is literally the relationship your company has with customers. You cannot have an authentic brand without a deep understanding of their needs and expectations. Thats why its really the founders job to ensure the company implements an ongoing dialogue with users. Use the feedback to craft and position that critical relationship to resonate with the lifeblood of your business.  Matt Bendett,  Peerspace 3. Support Real Values Lead by example and make your decisions as transparent as you can. Beyond that, consistent communication is key to authenticity. One strategy is to establish a mission statement based on company values and company-wide participation. From there, stick to the mission statement and promote it extensively. If a mission statement guides your decisions, then you can avoid looking like everything you do is self-serving. Management should also support and push values that have nothing to do with profits, such as employee health, both physical and mental, or family-oriented promotions.  Brandon Stapper,  Nonstop Signs 4. Record Podcats I believe that the best way to create a strong relationship between your organization and your customers is through a long-form audio podcast. While it may be tricky to justify why your specific business needs a podcast dedicated to it, figuring out that hurdle will provide your customers with a source of content that cant help but feel genuine.  Bryce Welker,  Crush The LSAT 5. Show Your Personality To appear authentic, it is important that brands look at their stories as more than just marketing material. Its a story that is inspired by people behind the scenes who help drive success that resonates with the audience, mainly because it is personality-driven. Since trust is an intrinsic part of how people function, personality-driven content helps build that.  Derek Robinson,  Top Notch Dezigns 6. Go Behind the Scenes Inviting your brands followers behind the scenes to share an insiders perspective of your team and your processes can be a highly effective way of creating an authentic connection between your customers and your brand. If you have a strong brand identity and company culture, utilize it to the fullest. It can be a tremendous source of highly authentic and engaging content.  Ismael Wrixen,  FE International 7. Engage in Conversation I find connecting directly to my consumers is the No. 1 way to create authenticity. I often do this via social media, and I think the fact that I take the time to personally engage, ask their opinions, share and participate in two-way conversations shows a sincerity and also allows them to relate to the person behind the story.  Dalia MacPhee,  DALIA MACPHEE 8. Utilize Video Video is one of the best ways to display authenticity and build real connections. There’s a lot of low-class marketing and attempts to be “authentic,” so it’s little wonder we’ve all become skeptical about “genuine” emails and “personal” stories. It’s much harder to be fake authenticity on video.  Karl Kangur,  MRR Media 9. Be Consistent A truly authentic brand identity relies on one thing: consistency. Without consistency, all of your efforts will be wasted. Whatever brand identity youre trying to communicate to your audience, you need to ensure that messaging is consistent across all mediums and platforms.  Without consistency, your audience may find your brand identity hard to believe or relate to.    Michael Mogill,  Crisp Video Group 10. Give Them a Call With auto-responders, drip campaigns, email and instant messaging on websites, people have become more disconnected from the people that power the products and services they use on a regular basis. Pick up the phone and call your customers. It builds a sense of trust, and its an incredible way to get feedback if you need to improve in an area.  Michael Fellows,  Broadway Lab, Inc. 11. Avoid Being Un-edited If youre in the beauty industry, it stands to reason that you might want to give your followers a live insight into your skin regimen via Instagram Stories, but that same unfiltered, un-edited approach does not work for everyone. An authentic image is easily identifiable. Some brands choose a color theme, others choose presentation, others use a platform; the  key is consistency.  Cody McLain,  SupportNinja

Is it Possible to Find a Professional Illustrator?

Is it Possible to Find a Professional Illustrator?When you are looking for an illustrator resume, one of the first questions that you should ask yourself is whether you have any experience with the subject. You may not have much experience and the job may not be appropriate for you, but if you have, then you will need to find a reliable illustrator who can draw your resume in the best way possible.The first thing to remember when you are hiring an illustrator is that you do not need to be an artist. This is not to say that you cannot hire someone who is art related but to get a suitable one that has a sense of creativity, you do not need to be an artist. Although you may want to create a resume that is unique, you do not want to ask a person that has very little experience to do it for you. If they know how to draw, then you might end up with a poor-quality piece of work and not the kind of quality that you wanted to achieve.You can usually find a great deal of creative resumes on th e internet that are ready to be sent to a company. The problem is that they are often from people who are under qualified or have little experience at all. If you have the right people on your side, then you do not have to go through all the hassle of creating a resume for the job.A company that offers basic service should be able to do just that. All you need to do is provide them with the relevant information about the job. Make sure that they know the type of work that you have done before, as this will help them to draw a proper illustration. An illustrator resume is going to be unique and stand out among other similar ones if you allow the professional to fully understand the requirements of the job.Many of these services will charge you a fee, but the good thing is that they will send out a sample in return. You should be able to see how the artist draws the content of the illustration as well as how they respond to different types of job openings. This can be a great help if you want to know if you should take the risk of hiring them to do your job.To find a freelance illustrator, you can go to art forums where you can find the answers to many questions related to your need for freelance artists, especially those who specialize in creating your own unique illustrations. You should also keep in mind that you should be looking for a company that has a site that you can easily get to. It is not the end of the world if you cannot locate one of the many search engines on the internet to help you.Companies will have to go through some screening process and if you want your application to get through, you should be prepared to offer what they need. They may take some time to get the answer they need, but when they do, you should be ready to offer your qualifications. This way, you are in a position to offer the kind of experience that will really be useful to them.Once you have your illustrator resume approved by the company, you should be able to fill it in a nd send it off to the company directly. If you have not been able to find a company that you feel comfortable with, then it may be time to consider doing it yourself. If you are able to provide the perfect illustration, you may end up with an excellent deal of referrals.