Saturday, May 30, 2020

How Successful Freelancers Identify and Market Their Skills

How Successful Freelancers Identify and Market Their Skills 43 Ready to freelance? Get started in the right direction by learning how successful freelancers identify and market their skills. This is a guest post by Adam Green. From recent college graduates to professionals with decades of experience, the allure of freelancing attracts all kinds. With the freedom to set your own hours and exert total control over your daily routine, it's easy to see why many are exploring the freelance life. But how do you start? That was the first question I had before embarking on a freelance writing career. Thankfully, a healthy combination of mishaps and triumphs during the first year taught me a great deal about how to achieve freelance success. Freelancers and small business owners Join 4 million freelancers who use Payoneer’s payment solutions: eval Lower fees Faster payment Greater flexibility Sign up and get $25* Identify marketable skills Although many associate freelancing with “creative” professions like writing and designing, independent professionals exist in several different industries.eval Ever met an independent consultant? Sure you have, but not all consultants are the same. Performing an honest assessment of your experience can help you identify specialties, which you will need to effectively market your freelance services. Ask yourself the following questions to hone in on your expertise: How can I leverage experience? Let's say you were a network administrator at an insurance company. You could gear your IT consulting services toward the needs of insurance offices. In my case, three years as a teacher helped me forge professional relationships with educational institutions. Now they hire me to write copy. When have I received recognition? Maybe you led the event planning committee at your office and received rave reviews for your work. A former colleague of mine did just that and is now an independent events planner. How do I add value? Something about you is different. If you design websites, you might also have suggestions for clients about improving search engine visibility, for example. Market your services across multiple channels Whether you're ready to freelance full-time or just want a few projects for side income, remember that you're running a business. You're just one person, but you still need a marketing plan. A solid combination of digital and “traditional” marketing methods will help you connect with clients and build a solid foundation for success. Be sure to do all of the following: Create a Website Tell your audience who you are and what you do. Update it regularly with fresh content that helps drive traffic and demonstrates knowledge of your industry. Build your brand with social media Social media lets us network round-the-clock. Find out which networks are popular with your audience and use them to make new connections. Reach out to former contacts One of the best ways to get business is through old colleagues. Tell them you would love a referral if they know anyone who needs your services â€" and direct them to your website. Network in-person Despite the current buzz surrounding social media, in-person networking is still extremely effective. Joining a local chamber of commerce will put you in touch with several contacts who may need or recommend you. Never underestimate the power of face-to-face interaction! Avoid job boards The best gigs for freelancers are rarely advertised. Good clients usually come to you via your marketing efforts, not the other way around. Although Craigslist and Elance may be full of jobs for freelancers, you will find few that pay well. With time, effort, and consistency, a combination of the above tactics will bring clients to your door. Deliver stellar work, and watch the referrals come in. Freelancing is hard â€" you're running a business, after all â€" but the professional freedom makes it well worth the effort. About the author Adam Green is a freelance copywriter and R consulting enthusiast. When he isn't referring to himself narcissistically in the third person, you will find him playing guitar on his front porch in Atlanta, Georgia. If you found this article useful, you should also read One of The Most Common Positive Trends Among Job Seekers Today.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Resume Writing Services in Waterloo Iowa

Resume Writing Services in Waterloo IowaYou've seen a bunch of resume writing services in Waterloo Iowahua, and you are wondering how they can help you get a job. Well, your resume may not be the best that you have ever written. But, there is a simple way to fix that, and you don't need any special skills or experience to do it.The two biggest problems when it comes to getting a job with resume writing services in Waterloo Iowahua, our spelling and grammar. Your resume is your first impression, and it needs to be perfect. So, even if you do not have the best writing skills, you can still improve yours by practicing and tweaking your resume.There are two major types of resumes. One type has the applicant's information, followed by contact information. The other type has the contact information, followed by the applicant's information. You will want to practice a little before you submit your resume. Start by writing out a sample, and then take it through several rounds of spelling and grammar check.You should practice what to do in several cases, just to make sure that your resume looks professional. First of all, you want to be sure that you don't put yourself at risk for getting the job. That would be like submitting your resume to a garbage can. Make sure that you don't include any personal information that could put your personal information at risk.Besides, the majority of businesses are looking for business professionals. Not college students or fresh graduates. So, let your resume to reflect that fact, by including all of the things that you are good at.Next, you should keep your resume as short as possible. The less text that you have on your resume, the easier it will be to read. Also, remember that every paragraph on your resume must be grammatically correct. One more thing to consider, if you are not fluent in English, you will need to find someone who is. Just make sure that they know what they are doing.A great way to find resume writing services in Waterloo Iowahua is through a network or local business associations. There are many different groups and associations that are dedicated to helping other businesses find employment, or job seekers find the right opportunity.Remember, your resume is your first impression. Keep it clean, and professional, and you will be on your way to finding the right job. If you know a few good companies that use resume writing services in Waterloo Iowahua, now you know how to improve your resume before you send it in!

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Resume Value

Resume Value Take a moment and ask yourself if your resume contains the dreaded and dreary words ‘responsible for’. You think it might? Ohhhh, say it isn’t so! What if I told you that the words ‘responsible for’ translate into ‘absolutely average at’ would you still use that statement in your major marketing document?  I highly doubt it.  Might as well write: ‘no value here’ because being ‘responsible for’ something (in a resume) doesn’t say much at all. What about the phrase “duties included”; does your resume say this? Please don’t tell me you pasted a copy of your job description(s) right into your resume!? The sad fact is, a majority of job seekers do dump generic job posting details directly into their resume, despite these adding no value. Think about it, employers aren’t interested in what was assigned to you; they want to be told how you demonstrated related skills to successful outcomes.  Past success translates into future success, so please revisit your resume and swap out generic statements with concrete examples of achievement and results. Ensure your resume is marketing you as a valuable commodity. Prevent yourself from coming across as completely average in your resume by avoiding copious focus on what you have been ‘responsible for. It is a given that you were required to get certain things done; that is the whole purpose of employment. Instead, take care to appropriately emphasize related skills in your resume, along with concrete examples of success and results! Speak to employers buying motivators and prove to them you will add value to their open position. If you are not sure how to set yourself apart on paper and you are not personally savvy at creating an impressive representation of your work history, employ the assistance of a professional resume strategist who can extract the unique worth of your skill sets and effectively communicate your key messages.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

List of things I hate #3

List of things I hate #3 This is not an exhaustive list on the topic. In fact, it may be an inexhaustible topic. There are older lists of what I hate. So todays post is merely my most recent list. Which is notable because hatred is a process. Neurologists have proven that love and hate are closely related, and I have found its hard to hate a person unless I am also close to that person, and the same is true for a topic. In that vein, life is the process of expanding our love and our knowledge, and I suppose, our hate. So here are some things that I have recently reached the point of thinking so much about that I feel qualified to hate them: 1. Sarcasm The use of sarcasm is always inappropriate. Sarcasm reveals insecurity and cynicism both things that make a person unlikable. Sarcasm is always negative in meaning, and the tone is always disparaging. On top of that, people who use sarcasm think they are being funny, but this is a poor mans humor; because comedy is about timing. You say it, then theres a beat, and then people laugh. With sarcasm, you say it, theres a beat when someone realizes youve said something you dont mean, and a beat to process what you did mean. The timing is off. So comedians rarely use sarcasm because its not funny. And top performers dont use sarcasm because its mean. 2. Getting bids If something is so important to you that you are spending enough time on it to collect bids, then you shouldnt get bids. Because if its so important to you, give it to the person who will do the best job. And if you think you can swindle someone into giving you a deal, well, why do you think theyre so good if they dont even get market price for their work? If your project is important, find someone who has done it before, with someone who was great. And hire that person. You could get another bid, but the work would be different, right? And you should hire someone who does good work. And if everyone does the same work, then pricing cant be that varied its a commodity, priced the same across the board so you dont need bids. 3. Maternity leave Its not that I dont like the topic. I dont like that people think this is an area fraught with controversy. This is not a gray-area area. This is a right answer/wrong answer area. Dont tell people youre pregnant if youre not showing. Hide the bump as long as possible. This is your right. And you have this explicit right because everyone knows that even though its illegal, women are penalized when people hear they are pregnant. No one trusts theyre coming back after the baby, so the project flow goes dry or gets boring. Also, you do not need to know if you are coming back to work full time after the baby. Tell your employer you are. Change your mind later if you want. This is reasonable: no one could guess how they want to raise their kids until the kids are there. Take paid maternity leave no matter what. Its your right. And the fastest way to post-partum depression is to take no time off to recuperate. (I know from my own experience.) So even if you quit when maternity leave is over, take paid leave. The US makes women earn maternity leave. Youve earned it already. You dont need to work more after. 4. Pseudonyms Heres what I read in Car and Driver magazine: The most popular name for upscale strippers to use is Lexus. Do you know what this tells you? Pseudonyms are for strippers. If youre being your real self, doing things that bring you self-respect, why have a pseudonym? And if you dont want to claim what you are doing as your own work, ask yourself why you are doing it. Here is a post about how using a pseudonym made my life a mess. And heres a post about pseudonyms undermine your career, which is ironic since people are usually thinking they need a pseudonym to save their career. 5. Lack of hate My son came home from preschool and told me that using hate is against the rules. I told him that discerning people hate things, and I encouraged him to think of something he hates. (Bowser, a bad guy in Super Mario, for those who are curious.) Recognizing that we each love and we each hate is part of the process of knowing ourselves. Talking about it is part of the process of letting other people know us as well.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

What Should Be on Your Resume?

What Should Be on Your Resume?The Pima County Library and Resume Writing Center are currently opening up in Tucson, Arizona. It was previously located in Cooneyville, California and was known as the Career Resource Center, until this year. This was a partnership between the Pima County Library and the Arizona State University's Career Center. The Center for Employment and Resource Initiatives was founded to help and educate job seekers on how to find employment, write a job-seeking resume, and interview with potential employers.If you are a student job seeker and are ready to get started, the program is run by Arizona State University and the Pima County Library. These two entities are working together to provide technical assistance for job seekers who are applying for internships, full-time and part-time employment, or current job openings. You can learn more about the program by visiting their websites.A number of individuals are using the information and services offered by the c enters to help them achieve success in the employment solutions they want. One such individual is Nicholas Hunter, who is currently working as a project manager at a Fortune 500 Company. His biggest challenge was that he did not know what to write in his resume. He is currently working on how to get the career information he needs to have a successful resume.The Pima County Library and Resume Writing Center also help people who are unemployed to prepare for interviews by teaching them how to write a well-researched resume. Writing a resume can be an intimidating task to some. However, many people find it very easy to write one if they know the steps to follow. So, how do you do it?Writing a resume is like writing any other document; you need to research the employer's industry to have a solid understanding of the company. Find out everything you can about the company to help yourself understand its history and identify its strengths and weaknesses. As you get familiar with the compa ny, you will also be able to more easily identify the things that make it distinct from other companies.The next step is to create your resume. This will include writing the sections that relate to the job that you want. By creating your resume, you will be able to get rid of the many distractions and activities that take place while writing a resume. Your resume is something that you will present to potential employers. Therefore, your resume must be written in a way that it is easy to read and understand.You must then attach your references that you have used for jobs. This includes previous employers. You can also list any certificates or diplomas that you have received. In addition, include your contact numbers so that you will be contacted by the potential employer.Finally, list your strong points in the section on your resume. This includes things such as the accomplishments you have achieved in your previous jobs. Try to write about things that demonstrate how qualified you a re for the position. Your resume will be more likely to be seen by the employer if you are able to provide the information that he or she is looking for.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

168 Bernard Kassab Designeri.am - Jane Jackson Career

168 Bernard Kassab Designeri.am - Jane Jackson Career Bernard Kassab is a graphic designer, producer, app developer, animation specialist and entrepreneur. He has worked in the US and in Australia, both agency and client side, and brings a wealth of experience to assist his clients to achieve their business branding and marketing goals.In this episode, Bernard shares with us his career journey and his passion for excellence in design.   His philosophies on how to provide the greatest value by understanding his client’s motivations and goals demonstrate why he has been such a success in launching his own design business.Bernard has been working in the brand and design industry for over 10 years. He’s experienced a number of different business environments including corporate, agency before becoming the Founder of Designeri.am.With this diverse experience, he is able to identify obstacles within a business, leverage design-led thinking and create solid strategies to facilitate change and growth for a business across print, digital and social channels.Whether you’re a business that’s just launching, or if your business has become stagnant and now needs a lift, Bernard and his team at Designeri.am will identify new opportunities to position your business to connect with the right customer.  Solid processes, tools and structures have ensured many successful brand executions, with outcomes always surpassing client expectationsAlso, in this episode I mention two valuable resources for those looking to brand themselves more effectively to attract career opportunities:1. 3 Secrets to Personal Branding for Career Success is a FREE Masterclass that takes you through the essential elements to build your powerful personal brand.  www.janejacksoncoach.com/3secrets2. The Job Search Guide helps you, as a job seeker, to avoid the 7 deadly mistakes that job seekers make.  www.thecareersacademy.online/freejobsearchguideWhere to find Bernard:Website:   http://designeri.amTwitter: @designeriamnews

Friday, May 8, 2020

Interview Tips Creating Your Online Portfolio - Sterling Career Concepts

Interview Tips Creating Your Online Portfolio Interview Tips: Creating Your Online Portfolio “Show, don’t tell” is a tired phrase that many creative writing teachers harp on. The phrase, however, rings true in writing as well as with job interviews. If you can master “the show” during your interview, you will stand out and, hopefully, land the job. The best way to show a potential employer what you can accomplish is to produce an online portfolio. It’s not as hard as it sounds and you don’t need to be an artist. An online portfolio might not be the best tool for everyone, but it certainly won’t hurt your career â€" just don’t include any controversial material. It doesn’t take a tech savvy person to know what is appropriate. Use a little common sense and get a second opinion from a trusted source. Portfolio Basics After choosing a site, think about the content you want to include in your portfolio. This process will be much easier for creative types (writers, artists, photographer) as they have a body of work to display. For everybody else, the portfolio will be more like a personal website, something your employer finds when they do their pre-interview online search. Online Portfolio Sites Numerous sites specialize in online portfolios, and prices vary. Also consider website builders that can be customized. Here are a few sites to help start your search: Portfolio Box is geared towards creative people. There are two plans to choose from: free and Pro. The Pro account, which allows users create unlimited pages and to upload as many as 1,000 photos, costs $6.90 per month. Carbon Made has been around for 10 years and hosts 950,000 portfolios. It is an easy to use platform with three plans to choose from: Okay ($6/month), Whoo! ($12/month) and Laser Whale ($24/month). Coroflot, established in 1997, is one of the oldest portfolio sites on the web. It is really more of a community for design professionals rather than a portfolio builder. Coroflot also hosts a job board. The site is free. Wix, which is headquartered in Tel Aviv, is one of the easiest platforms out there. Plans range from free to $24.89 per month. Ads are displayed on the free and Connect Domain ($4.08/month) plans. If that is an issue, and it should be if this is your professional profile, you will want to upgrade to one of the better plans. Google recently de-indexed Wix websites, which is something you’ll want to investigate before signing up. Square Space, which launched 11 years ago, is, like Wix, extremely easy to use. They offer plenty of templates to choose from, too. The personal plan is $8 per month. Bring the Tech Don’t assume the interviewer is going to have tech available for you to use. Plus, showing that you are technologically self-sufficient may get you bonus points. Here is the scene: you are at a job interview and it is time to show your online portfolio. You reach in your briefcase and pull out a Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, which is a business grade tablet/laptop combo. Then, pull up your portfolio (it should be bookmarked or already ready to go) and show why you are the best candidate. In this competitive job market, this just might be the edge you need.