How to Make the Case for Employer Branding

How to Make the Case for Employer Branding You know a category is heating up when it warrants a Dummies book. Employer Branding has now got the dummy treatment, thanks to our friends and chief dummkopfs Lars Schmidt and Richard Mosley. Check out the book Employer Branding for Dummies, listen to the interview with Lars Schmidt  below  and make sure you subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast. How do you make the case for employer branding? I think theres a variety of reasons of why consciously building your employer brand is advantageous to a company. The obvious one is that it’s going to make it easier for your company to attract the talent that youre looking for. So if prospects can do some research and get a good feel for your culture, your environment, the way work gets done, your values, as long as they align with it, theyre going to be more likely to seek you out. This is really important for high-demand talents. If youre hiring niche advanced talent or technology positions, those are all people that have options, And you can bet if youre hiring in those bases, that your competitors are telling their story. They are focusing on their employer brand. So it becomes, actually, a liability if youre not. I think a strong employer brand also allows you to save money on things like recruitment advertising, and media, and things that traditionally you do to fill the top of your funnel because now, you have more candidates coming to seek you out and more ways for them to actually be able to discover you without you having to pay for that. I think if you have a really compelling employer brand, studies have shown that the salaries may not need to be as high. You may not have to pay a premium if you have a compelling employer brand. Well, the opposite is actually true. If you dont have a compelling employer brand, youre going to have to make up with that on something. And usually, for most people, its going to be in compensation or benefits. I think another would be the impact on morale and employee engagement and retention. So a strong employer brand, if its an organization that people really want to work for and employees are empowered to share their story, they take a lot of pride in that because not all companies do that. And so if you do that effectively, youre not just making it easier for you to bring talent in the organization, youre going to be more effective at actually holding and keeping your talent because of the perception and the reality of what its like to work there. What are some of the best practices for employer branding? So in my view, best practices are best practices that highlight the employees. They spend a lot of time illuminating the employee experience. Theyre real. And what I mean by that is that theyre not all fluff. Theyre not all gloss. I think that compelling employer brand practices are ones that highlight the real experience. And a lot of that is good, hopefully. Some of that may not be good, and thats okay. I think that effective employer branding does a good job at highlighting both because ultimately the end goal shouldnt be filling your funnel. It shouldnt be getting more and more people to apply. Its getting the right people to apply. And to do that, youve got to be honest about what you offer and what you lack, frankly, because some people will make decisions and theyll be drawn to what you offer and some people would be repelled by what you lack. But if thats your reality, hiding that and not owning that and worse, covering that up, employees are going to find that out when they get there anyway. And so I think its important that, to me, the kind of employer branding efforts and campaigns that interest me are ones that are real and theyre not afraid to poke fun at themselves. Theyre not afraid to even shine a light on their worst of times. Because I think that the end result of that is youve got a much more targeted candidate pool and level of affinity from employees that are interested in your organization because they can connect with the reality of what its like to work there. Follow Lars  on Twitter @Lars  and be sure to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast.

How to Locate the Best Resume Writing Service From Resume Writing Service Providers Available Online

How to Locate the Best Resume Writing Service From Resume Writing Service Providers Available OnlineLooking for the best resume writing service in order to write your resume that will help you land a good job? Well, there are several websites online and offline which offer resume writing services and it is best to ask a few questions when hiring such service providers.You need to make sure that they are accredited by the Foundation for Enterprise Development (FED) and The New York Times Company, the two corporations that publish Forbes magazine. Another thing that you should ask them is whether they are accredited by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). If yes, then go for them.So, what about the fees charged by the companies offering resume writing services? Well, some of them charge an initial fee before which they offer samples and free resume samples. After paying the initial fee, the resumes will be professionally written and sent to you.You should also inq uire about what type of resume they will provide you. Some companies offer free samples that are mostly sample resume examples. Most of the companies that offer such services are not certified or have incomplete training programs. It is highly recommended that you look for a reputable resume writing service provider who is accredited by the NACE.Asking the company about the status of their training programs will help you determine if they are reliable or not. Those companies which are not accredited by the NACE have incomplete training programs and may not be able to provide you with quality resume writing service. If the resume service provider charges you an upfront fee, then check their background by calling their office and find out if they can help you.Some companies will request certain criteria for their candidates to pass their tests. Therefore, if they claim to be accredited by the NACE, then you must ask for a copy of their qualification tests. You can request for a copy o f the NACE test by contacting the Business Council of New York City (BCNY) who is an accrediting agency for NACE accredited service providers.However, if the qualifications required are Bachelor's degree then only those who are affiliated with the BNY and have completed the Bachelors degree or equivalent is acceptable. Some companies also require that their candidates undergo a background check that includes a check on their criminal record and credit report.While most companies providing resume writing service provide free resume samples that are used as a practice tool and not real samples, it is always good to ask for some samples that are considered real samples. Ask them to send you samples of a resume that was written by one of their clients. This will give you an idea if they can produce a quality resume.

How to prepare for interview success. University of Manchester Careers Blog

How to prepare for interview success. University of Manchester Careers Blog Whether you have had an interview before or not its always nerve racking when you get the call / email inviting you to come along.   The more you want the job the more daunting it feels! Interviews can be:  Competency based,  Strength based,  Technical,  By Phone, Video or Skype,  Panel, 1-1, a chat over a coffee or incredibly formal. There are lots of different ways to interview but essentially the employer is always looking for the same thing. Someone who understands what the job involves and wants to do it! Someone who can demonstrate that they have the right skill set to be able to do the job. The good news is if you have been invited to interview the employer already thinks you CAN do the job.   Now they need to see  which candidate would be best. Motivational questions These look at your reasoning for why you want to do this job to see if you really have enthusiasm and passion for it They also want to see if you really understand what you have applied for. Do you understand what they company does / makes  Do you understand their values and the way they do business (are they your values too) Do you know what the role involves The expectation is that you will have done your research, this might be: The company website find out about the job, internship. Read profiles of staff who do that role if available. Look at the website as if you were a client going to buy a product or service. Why would you pick them, what are their unique selling points, who are their competitors? Talk to staff at events  fairs on campus, even ask questions on social media if available. Understand WHY YOU want to do this. Where has your interest come from? Skills / strengths / knowledge / personality Knowledge could be gained through your course e.g. specialist knowledge  of engineering or economics. Or could be gained through work experience, volunteering or other activities. Skills / competencies   could be a technical or specialist skill, but just as likely to be skills like problem solving and leadership that you could gain at University or in extracurricular activities. Strengths what are  you are good at and what do you enjoy doing. Personality now this really is a difficult one.   I use it to mean right fit for the role.  There may be 10 candidates who can all do the  job BUT a combination of the way they answer questions, the examples they use and the enthusiasm in their voice will indicate that which one is the best fit for the team or role. Your research would include: If specialist knowledge or skills have been asked for its likely they will be needed in the role. So think about where specifically these might be needed and what you might be expected to know or be able to do. Do you need to find out about particular process and how it works, understand formulae or data, know the state of the market and how various factor might influence it? Know yourself and where you can demonstrate good examples of having used skills or strengths. Some may be in a relevant context others may not, so think about how you are going to tell that story to make it relevant.  Consider not only examples of when things went to plan but also when you had to overcome problems. Understand what the organisation is looking for in a candidate and what type of person would succeed in that role.  Its really not something you are going to be able to fake successfully this is why Situational Judgement Tests are often used. And theres more good news if you did a good application you should have already done much of this research. The bad news is you probably researched a number of companies so now its time to recap and go the extra mile! Finally  Think about some questions you can ask in the interview. A great interview is like a natural conversation where both parties may be sharing information and asking questions. However you will find that most interviewers have set questions they have to ask and your  questions may be at the end. Your questions should not be about things you can easily find out on the website that looks lazy. Consider Questions about the company or the interviewer.  What do you think is the most enjoyable thing about working at XXX?  What are the biggest challenges? What does an average day look like for a new starter, intern etc. You can ask about specific aspects of the role you are interested in. There are cunning questions that may allow you to introduce new information or emphasise a skill. e.g. You mentioned earlier growth in your overseas  markets is that something a new graduate would be involved in id love an opportunity to use my languages? Questions about salary, working hours, holiday can be asked but be careful. I would probably leave these until you have a job offer on the table. All Applications and interviews Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted Applications and interviews Interviews

Insurance Costs Too High Heres How To Lower Them

Insurance Costs Too High Heres How To Lower Them The average homeowner purchasing the most common type of insurance  spends around $1,132 on premiums  each year. Insurance companies take many different factors into consideration before setting rates for their customers. But you can control your insurance costs. Here are several components that play a major role in determining the price of insurance for homeowners. The age and quality of the home Providers consider the age of a home before deciding how much to charge for insurance. Older homes with ornate construction often cost more to insure than newer homes. Properties that have been around for decades may require more maintenance to ensure that their roof, pipes, electrical wiring and appliances are in good shape and meet current standards. The types of materials used to build a home can also affect insurance premiums. Because wooden homes are more flammable, they’re more expensive to insure than homes made out of concrete, brick or steel. Certain features in your home, such as a fireplace, can drive up your reconstruction and insurance costs, too. Three-quarters of residential heating fires are  confined to chimneys, fuel burners or flues. The location External factors can affect the cost of your homeowners insurance premiums.  Homeowners in close proximity to  fire stations or fire hydrants are more likely to  end up with lower insurance rates. But if your home is located in an area prone to crime, hurricanes and other natural disasters, you may pay more for insurance since you’re more likely to file a claim. While you can’t prevent burglaries and other incidents from occurring in your neighborhood, there are ways to protect your home and reduce your homeowners insurance costs. Installing a security system, for example, can lower your premiums  by as much as 20%. Find out what your insurer requires to qualify for a discount. The home’s replacement cost Your home’s replacement cost determines how much you pay for homeowners insurance, too. That’s the amount of money needed to replace your entire home. The age and quality of your home can impact the cost of replacing it along with these other factors: Size, layout and square footage Local building costs Interior home features Exterior home features Building materials Replacements costs can differ greatly from a home’s market value and can increase over time. You’ll likely insure your home based on the replacement cost (how much it would cost to restore your home and belongings in the event of total loss), rather than what your home is worth based on supply and demand, the location of your home and comparable home sale prices. Your level of coverage and your deductible The price you pay for homeowners insurance will also depend on how much coverage you feel you need for your home and your valuables. If you have expensive personal items, for example â€" like jewelry, art or antiques â€" you may need scheduled personal property coverage. That’s additional insurance for anything not fully covered under your standard policy. When comparing insurance policies, consider a general rule of thumb: The lower your deductible, the higher your monthly premium. A higher deductible could  reduce your premiums by as much as 25%. Shop Around Not all homeowners insurance policies are created equal, so you’ll need to do your research. Shop around for insurance that will cover items you would have to replace in the event of a total loss. Then find a policy that meets your needs. While you don’t have control over every factor that affects the cost of your insurance premiums, making certain adjustments and investments can pay off. For example, some insurance companies offer discounts when you install security systems. Others offer smart home devices free of charge. Consider opting for a higher deductible that can lower your insurance premiums. And pay close attention to the terms and conditions before committing to a policy.  This guest post was provided by Hippo Hippo is an InsurTech company that’s reimagining home insurance through the lens of homeowners â€" building policies with more comprehensive coverage for todays consumers at up to 25% less than competitors. Hippo Insurance is available to homeowners in 10 states throughout the US and will be available to more than 60% of the nations homeowners by the end of 2018.

How to Write a Good Resume - Best Resume Formats

How to Write a Good Resume - Best Resume FormatsThe best resume formats are just as important to your professional success as the substance of the information you put on them. The difference is that you can get the resume format you need on the internet much more easily than you can get the info on the actual form. The time saving has only increased in recent years as employers search for resumes on their own.But if you need to learn how to write a good resume, you have to learn about online resume templates. These are the most popular and most effective resume formats available on the web today. When you learn how to use these formats, you will be able to prepare a good resume much more quickly than you can even buy a ready-made template.There are two types of online resume templates. One is the text-based format. This is the basic form you will find on many job sites and you know how it works because it is the very same one you have seen on dozens of different job sites before. Thi s format usually uses a plain text file to hold all of the information and the font is large enough so that everything looks smooth and uniform.The other type of online resume formats is the PSD format. This format is a very common and popular choice among professional and business men. This form has been around longer than text-based forms and is designed for graphic artists to put images into. This means that many of the smaller graphical things, like headings and paragraphs, still have to be put in by hand.If you need to learn how to write a good resume, using the best resume templates is a great way to start. When you look at an online template, you will see several different sections to go into. Each section has a specific job or industry you are trying to get hired for.Asyou are going through the different sections, you will be able to see exactly what you should be putting on each of these sections and exactly what information you should be leaving out. This will help you get started right away. You can then work from there to make sure that you follow all of the instructions given to you in the appropriate section.Now you can think about what you want in a great resume. You can focus on the key skills you have for each of the jobs you are trying to get. You can focus on the qualifications you have for each job as well.After you get all of the information you need, now it's time to put it all together and present it to your employer. Once you know how to write a good resume, you can make sure that it's easy to read and that your employer gets a clear idea of your professional capabilities.

Top 5 Tableau Training Courses Available Online

Top 5 Tableau Training Courses Available Online Photo Credit â€" wikipedia.orgTableau is not only used to bridge the gap between data scientists and laypeople, but also, to sort large volumes of data into manageable buckets.Companies can only make use of big data analysis when decision-makers can understand what the numbers mean. With tableau, analysts can help managers and directors visualize the implication of various correlations.While it is simple enough for people to learn the basics of Tableau on their own, learning how to manipulate data on a more complex scale is difficult for most people.evalTraining is important for this reason. With the right training, analysts will know how to make optimal use of Tableau in analysing data.While many may downplay the importance of a certification, we believe that a certification validates your skills and sets professional apart from their uncertified peers.If you are looking for available training certifications online, then here is a curated list of hand-picked Tableau courses that cou ld help accelerate your career.1. Simplilearn’s Tableau Training and Data Visualization Online CourseThis course is available on Simplilearn and enables you to develop skills in Tableau Desktop 10.The training teaches you the various aspects of Tableau like data organization, visualization building, and designing dashboards. Students will also be able to understand the concepts of mapping, data connection and statistics.Learners are required to undertake two simulation exams and an industry-based project in order to receive the necessary associate certification.This course is suitable for system administrators, software developers, and BI professionals.evalSimplilearn is an incredible training provider because its courses are accompanied by course advisors to guide students through the challenging process of learning.There are packages offered for both individuals and businesses. The Online Classroom Flexi-Pass package is designed for individuals. It has ninety days of access to m ore than two online training classes led by instructors.The Corporate Training Solutions package, on the other hand, is designed for businesses. There are no prerequisites for taking this course but it is recommended that you have more than five months working experience of Tableau Desktop.2.UC Davis’ Coursera Fundamentals of Visualization with TableauIf you’ve never used Tableau before, this Coursera training by the University of California, is meant for you. The Fundamentals of Visualization with Tableau course is also useful for anyone who needs a refresher.evalThrough this course, you’ll create your first visualization story, based on data context. Fundamental concepts of data visualization are covered in this course and students explore the Tableau interface, identify and apply its various tools. Students will eventually learn to prepare and import data into Tableau.Given that course covers the basic concepts of Tableau, students don’t need prior technical or analytical knowledge. After the completion of this course, students get certified by the prestigious UC Davis university.3.Tableau’s Desktop CourseTableau Desktop is an online data science course offered by the company that makes the Tableau software. In this course, candidates will develop skills to glean actionable insights by embracing live visual analytics.Tableau relies on the natural ability of individuals to discover visual patterns and thereby reveal available market opportunities.Tableau Desktop is an important course for organizations because it improves the ability of managers to make effective market decisions.It is also an ideal course for those who would like to develop data mining skills and secure employment in the current marketplace.Photo Credit â€" Tableau.com4.Tableau 10 Essential Training on LyndaThe Tableau 10 Essential Training that is operated by Lynda offers everything you need to know about analyzing and displaying data using Tableau Desktop.Lynda offers the four a nd a half hour course to individuals, businesses and government agencies. Students who take this course are capable of creating, manipulating and sharing data visualizations.After taking this course, students will also be able to highlight relevant information to their managers using visual cues so quick, data-driven decisions can be taken.5.Duke University’s Big Data and Data Science Online ProgramevalCandidates can use this Duke University course to develop skills to communicate the practical implications of information obtained from quantitative data analyses to any member of an audience.This is because data analysis results are useless if they cannot be applied by managers to solve business challenges.This course enables learners to streamline their analyses and outline their implications effectively through visualizations in Tableau. The course does more than just teach you Tableau.The course also includes lessons on R programming language, Hadoop as well as Machine Learning. Candidates who complete this course will be certified directly by Duke University.ConclusionTableau helps you convey conclusions clearly by harnessing your brain’s natural perceptual and cognitive tendencies.evalHence, adequate Tableau training from recognized institutions is vital for professionals in the business world.Are you interested to learn more about Tableau? Let us know in the comments below!

Social Media Law and the Job Search - CareerEnlightenment.com

Here’s a general conglomerate of things employers or potential employers can and cannot do in regards to social media inside these states:Employers can:Review public social media content without consent of employee/potential employeeMake character judgments in the hiring process based on public postsTerminate an existing employee based on content posted publicly (In addition to disparaging comments about the company, avoid revealing any trade secrets.)Establish a social media policy that employees are required to adhere to as a condition of employment. None of the rules of this policy can violate state social media privacy laws (if any)Employers cannot:Request access to personal social media accounts beyond what’s available publiclyMake judgments based on “protected characteristics” such as race, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. It’s assumed that some or all of this information is available on social media profilesInsist that an employee accept a friend req uest or similar social media connectionTerminate or otherwise reprimand employees participating in “concerted activity,” or discussing labor conditions in a constructive manner with plans to discuss issues with employerIn the next few years, we should see more and more states put social media privacy laws on the books. We can only hope that they protect both the employee and the employer. As a new employee, protect yourself by getting familiar with a company’s social media policy.For a play-by-play recap of social media privacy legislation, check out the National Conference of State Legislatures’ article “Access to Social Media Usernames and Passwords.”

What Will You Say When You Get Your Job Offer - Hallie Crawford

What Will You Say When You Get Your Job Offer Thank you to Terry Wynne, one of our certified career coaches, for this article! When you get an offer for the job you so want, what will you say? Your immediate answer could be, “Yes, I accept, thank you so much,” or perhaps, “When do you want me to start?” When you receive a job offer, the employer usually confirms a salary offer as well. Something to consider is whether or not you want to ask about negotiating this salary. Fear holds some people back from negotiating. They fear the employer will retract the job offer or even worse, they fear they don’t know how to negotiate. If you’re comfortable, you can simply ask, “I’m so happy you’ve offered me the job, but I wonder, is this salary negotiable?” You may hear a reply of “No,” but you may also hear a response of, “What did you have in mind?” Congratulations, you have started the negotiation process! If you do decide to negotiate, be sure you know the salary comparable companies in the same area are paying for the position you’re accepting. If you need help with the art of negotiating, simply contact us at Create You Career Path. We’d love to help you negotiate your salary for the job of your dreams! and Terry Wynne, Ed.S., LPC, BCC Certified Career Coaches P.S. Be sure to check out our  LinkedIn Consulting Program  where you can  learn how to effectively leverage your LinkedIn account for your job search and ongoing professional development.