Always End the Day With a Positive Thought.

Law that let's kids permanently erase online posts

New California Law Lets Kids Permanently Erase All The Stupid Things They've Posted Online
~Alyson Shontell; Business Insider September 25, 2013

A new "eraser button" law signed by California governor Jerry Brown will help teenagers improve their online images, AFP reports.

Kids, who are prone to posting unprofessional party pictures, curse words and body shots online, will be able to permanently delete inappropriate parts of their profiles and preserve their digital footprints beginning January 1, 2015.

The law is the first of its kind and it will force sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google to help minors delete their online histories.

"This is a groundbreaking protection for our kids who often act impetuously with postings of ill-advised pictures or messages before they think through the consequences," says California state senator Darrell Steinberg. "They deserve the right to remove this material that could haunt them for years to come."

Of course, the law will only apply to kids in California, but it may encourage other states to follow suit. Social media is dangerous when you're at an impulsive age and unable to think about repercussions. 

More than one teen has been arrested for something he or she has written online.  Students have nearly been expelled for posting nude pictures on the Internet.  A law like this might be the only way to save teens from themselves.

8 Ways to Get Yourself Eliminated from Candidate Consideration Quickly

8 Ways to Get Yourself Eliminated from Candidate Consideration Quickly

~ Will Thomson

I just don't get it?!!  Why didn't I get called back?  I thought I interviewed great!  What do you mean "We decided to go another direction"?

Have you ever heard these words or thought these thoughts?  If you haven't, you are one of the few.  Interviewing for a job is tough.  It is frustrating.  It can be a long process.  You develop a rapport with your recruiter.  When you get the call, or even worse the "no call", it is hard not to get down.

So the question is "How can YOU avoid these things?". Truth is, sometimes you can't.  Sometimes there is already a candidate in mind before you even submit your resume.  That being said, there are some things you can do to HELP YOURSELF from being eliminated and at least getting to the second round of interviews.

Getting an interview, is half the battle.  The other half, is getting to the second round of interviews and progress through the process.  Don't shoot yourself in the foot.  Here are 8 things that WILL get you eliminated from consideration.

1)  Not Doing Research on the Company and the Role  We have all done it.  Let me say as a recruiter, though, it is extremely frustrating when you haven't done your homework.  Look up the company on the internet.  Get a good understand what they do.  Know the key executives.  Know the financials.  Be able to articulate how you could help. 

2)  Not Acting Enthused About The Role  Have your morning cup of coffee and your notepad.  Take notes & listen.  Genuinely be interested in what role the person is talking to you about.  Remember they are taking time out of their day to talk to YOU.  Give them a level of respect!

3)  Coming Across Abrasive or Overconfident  Recruiters truly don't care how great awesome you are. We are looking for culture fit.  We are looking at a lot of intangibles.   If you come across abrasive and the know it all, it is a huge turnoff!  It is okay to show what you know, but don't do it in a way that comes across as someone that would have difficulty working with others.  Be humble. 

4)  Not Being Able to Do the Skills on Your Resume  There are now Sourcers in recruiting for this exact reason.  Don't say you can program and code Java on your resume if you can't! Don't say you have been in outside sales for 15 years when you have gone on 3 meetings with an outside sales person and you are an TRULY an inside sales person.  

5)  Over Pricing Yourself  Don't say you want 20k more than you know they can pay.  If you are out of their budget, or more than they WANT to pay,  you won't get called back.  

6)  Being Inflexible  Saying things like "I will only telecommute" or I don't want to do that part of the job EVER shows that you won't be a very good employee.  

7)  Not Able To Explain Employment Gaps   Let's face it.  There are layoffs, there is downsizing, and sometimes you just aren't a great fit.  Maintain relationships with a former employee and stay on good terms.  If you can't explain why you left then you are in trouble.  

8)  Bad Mouthing Your Former Employer  The employer is looking to employ YOU.  If you bad mouth a former employer, what says you won't do that to them?  Be careful what you say!  You could say things like "I learned a lot from the company and it has helped me in XYZ areas.  Never say "the company was awful and my boss was a jerk".  That will get you nowhere in life!   

Resume Power Words

20 Resume Power Words

~ Ritika Trikha

A strong resume incorporates meaningful, powerful words. Pick and choose carefully. To help you create the best resume possible, we created an infographic of 20 resume power words. Bookmark this or pin it on your job search Pinterest board!  These words are powerful, so use them sparingly.

Meaningless, redundant words are actually a top resume mistake, according to Dana Case, director of operations at MyCorporations.com.  "I often see phrases like 'hard-working' and 'goal-oriented' in the special skills portion of a resume. These phrases are redundant. If you are applying for a job, I am assuming that you are hard-working and that you have goals, no need to put them on your resume," Case says.

Ditch redundant phrases. Instead, select a few that are truly relevant to your skill (but don't stuff your resume with all 20 words!).  Back each of the few power words you use with a significant achievement and you'll have it made! To help, we created this handy infographic just for you!

Job Seeker Do's and Don'ts

Job Seeker Do's and Don'ts
~ Maren Hogan (seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and Recruiting Industry). Recruiter.com

When you’re looking for a new job, don’t just stumble around, be purposeful and knowledgeable about your hunt.  You spend 8 hours a day there, 5 days a week, probably more. This is a big decision, and one that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. Common, seemingly small mistakes can make a big difference between landing the dream job and an endless search, wondering why you’re not getting the call back.

Odds are this isn’t your first, or your last job hunt so keep these do’s and don’ts of job seekers tips in your arsenal.

Do Network (but do it the right way)

How many times have you been at the bar and the same drunk guy keeps handing you his business card. Don’t be that guy.  There is a time and place for networking.  Don’t get it wrong, that place is very often the bar, but display some control and know when you’re over that threshold.

It turns out that an incredible 80 percent of jobs are landed through networking. But not everyone is born networker; some of us aren’t good at it. We aren’t all social butterflies and we don’t all check our klout scores every day. But the biggest mistake you can make is not networking at all.

Don’t Wait Around

The average unemployed U.S. citizen spends about 40 minutes per day on their job search, and a ridiculous 200 minutes watching TV. Every minute you spend on Netflix could be the minute that your dream job has just been landed by a go-getter.  This statistic is just pathetic; if you need a job, go get it! Fifty percent of new hires applied for the position within the first seven days of the job listing. Time to fill is in the forefront of every hiring manager’s mind, so get on it.

Do Use Social Media (but again, do it the right way)

Social media is a fantastic way to stay connected and keep some irons in the fire. But it’s not only a networking tool. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ are used by employers or hiring managers to catch a glimpse of you, see what you’re about and who you’re in circles with. So keep it clean. Keep your professional networking sites professional, and control what you want others to see. These sites also work the other way. The best way to get a feel of a company’s employer brand or company culture is to check out their sites. You can learn a lot about a company just from searching around their social media for a few minutes.

According to a Forbes article, “How Social Media can Help (or hurt) You in Your Job Search”, of the 37 percent of employers who use social media to screen candidates:

•  65% said they do it to see if the job seeker presents himself or herself professionally.
• About half (51%) want to know if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture.
• 45% want to learn more about his or her qualifications.
• Some cited “to see if the candidate is well-rounded” and “to look for reasons not to hire the candidate,” as their motives.
• A third (34%) of employers who scan social media profiles said they have found content that has caused them not to hire the candidate.

Don’t be Afraid to Negotiate Your Salary

Eighteen percent of employees never took the time or opportunity to negotiate their salary. This can be a scary thing. As the new hire, you are sometimes made to feel that the ball is entirely in their court. This simply isn’t the case. They spent time and money on reading your resume, arranging and executing the interview, deliberating over the choice of hire, and doing a background check. They aren’t going to give you the boot if you start talking numbers. If you’re prepared with a counter offer, you’ll know exactly what’s on the table, instead of walking out never knowing, and waiting for a 6 month employee evaluation.

Do Edit

Nothing will kill your chances before you even get in the door like an error  filled resume or profile.  Check and re-check any and all materials that can be potentially seen by a hiring manager. If you didn’t pay attention to detail in your job search, that sends a clear message that you aren’t thorough.

Don’t be a Downer

If you take nothing else from these do’s and don’ts, please take this: Eighty-five percent of the decision to promote or hire an employee is based on the employee's attitude.  No one wants to work with a jerk, so don’t let your nerves get the best of you. Be relaxed, confident and positive in all interactions with your hiring manager.

80% of today’s jobs landed through networking

~ Bob McIntosh, Recruiting Blogs

According to a report from ABC News, 80% of today’s jobs are landed through networking. This percentage of networkers represents smart jobseekers who understand that looking for and finding work takes...work.

They understand that personal networking coupled with online networking will yield better results than spending the majority of their time on Monster.com, Indeed.com, Dice.com, CareerBuilder.com, and other job boards.

Smart jobseekers attend networking events consisting of jobseekers, business owners, professional associations, meet-ups, etc. However, networking events are not smart jobseekers' only, or even major, source of networking. They also utilize their rich network of former colleagues, friends, relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, and others; or start the building process…and keep it going once they’ve landed a job.

Many experts will tell you that companies want to hire from within first; only when there are no appropriate internal candidates will they rely on referrals from employees (who get a bonus for a successful  hire) and people who will approach them through informational meetings. The latter category of jobseekers (you) have the benefit of getting known before the job is "officially posted."

"...employees who come to the company 'known by us' in some way are seen to be better hires and thought to get up to speed more quickly and stay with the company longer," Martin Yate, Knock em Deadseries, writes. And this includes you. This is where relentless networking comes in, whether you contact someone at a company so they can get your résumé to a hiring manager, or you contact a hiring manager in your desired department to set up a meeting.

Pam Lassiter, The New Job Security, understands that networking can be daunting, particularly for Introvert types, but encourages jobseekers to do it, "Using your networking wisely is a muscle you can exercise and develop if you haven't already. Outplacement and alumni career services surveys report that 65 to 85 percent of jobseekers find their jobs through networking...."

Some jobseekers misunderstand the purpose of networking. They think it's all about them. They constantly ask without giving, which is the quickest way to drive away potential allies. People who have the true networking mindset realize that they should first help others, before thinking of themselves.

The bottom line is that helping other jobseekers will help you. Paying it forward increases your odds of landing a job. And, there are plenty of great networkers who will help you, as they realize they'll eventually get help from others. They are patient and determined.

Here's what one of my customers, who recently got a job, told me about proper networking: "Have a conversation with people [as opposed to] giving them a 30 second commercial.  It's not about 'I need a job.'  Have a really good conversations with a few people at an event and listen to what their needs are. Think of how you can really connect with them and support them vs. just getting a business card."

Networking only makes sense, so I’m perplexed as to why some jobseekers don’t embrace it. I know that personal networking means going outside one's comfort zone, particularly if you’re an Introvert (as an Introvert, I know the feeling). Developing the attitude that “I just have to do it” will help you over the hump.

9 Qualities of Truly Confident People

9 Qualities of Truly Confident People

~Dharmesh Shah via LinkedIn 6/6/13

First things first: Confidence is not bravado, or swagger, or an overt pretense of bravery. Confidence is not some bold or brash air of self-belief directed at others.

Confidence is quiet: It’s a natural expression of ability, expertise, and self-regard.

I’m fortunate to know a number of truly confident people. Many work with me atHubSpot, others are fellow founders of their own startups some of whom I've met through my angel investment activity. But the majority are people I’ve met through my career and who work in a variety of industries and professions.

It comes as no surprise they all share a number of qualities:

1. They take a stand not because they think they are always right… but because they are not afraid to be wrong.

Cocky and conceited people tend to take a position and then proclaim, bluster, and totally disregard differing opinions or points of view. They know they’re right – and they want (actually they need) you to know it too.

Their behavior isn’t a sign of confidence, though; it’s the hallmark of an intellectual bully.

Truly confident people don’t mind being proven wrong. They feel finding out what is right is a lot more important than being right. And when they’re wrong, they’re secure enough to back down graciously.

Truly confident people often admit they’re wrong or don’t have all the answers; intellectual bullies never do.

2. They listen ten times more than they speak.

Bragging is a mask for insecurity. Truly confident people are quiet and unassuming. They already know what they think; they want to know what you think.

So they ask open-ended questions that give other people the freedom to be thoughtful and introspective: They ask what you do, how you do it, what you like about it, what you learned from it… and what they should do if they find themselves in a similar situation.

Truly confident people realize they know a lot, but they wish they knew more… and they know the only way to learn more is to listen more.

3. They duck the spotlight so it shines on others.

Perhaps it’s true they did the bulk of the work. Perhaps they really did overcome the major obstacles. Perhaps it’s true they turned a collection of disparate individuals into an incredibly high performance team.

Truly confident people don’t care – at least they don’t show it. (Inside they’re proud, as well they should be.) Truly confident people don’t need the glory; they know what they’ve achieved.

They don’t need the validation of others, because true validation comes from within.

So they stand back and celebrate their accomplishments through others. They stand back and let others shine – a confidence boost that helps those people become truly confident, too.

4. They freely ask for help.

Many people feel asking for help is a sign of weakness; implicit in the request is a lack of knowledge, skill, or experience.

Confident people are secure enough to admit a weakness. So they often ask others for help, not only because they are secure enough to admit they need help but also because they know that when they seek help they pay the person they ask a huge compliment.

Saying, “Can you help me?” shows tremendous respect for that individual’s expertise and judgment. Otherwise you wouldn't ask.

5. They think, “Why not me?”

Many people feel they have to wait: To be promoted, to be hired, to be selected, to be chosen... like the old Hollywood cliché, to somehow be discovered.

Truly confident people know that access is almost universal. They can connect with almost anyone through social media. (Everyone you know knows someone you should know.) They know they can attract their own funding, create their own products, build their own relationships and networks, choose their own path – they can choose to follow whatever course they wish.

And very quietly, without calling attention to themselves, they go out and do it.

6. They don't put down other people.

Generally speaking, the people who like to gossip, who like to speak badly of others, do so because they hope by comparison to make themselves look better.

The only comparison a truly confident person makes is to the person she was yesterday – and to the person she hopes to someday become.

7. They aren’t afraid to look silly…

Running around in your underwear is certainly taking it to extremes… but when you’re truly confident, you don’t mind occasionally being in a situation where you aren't at your best.

(And oddly enough, people tend to respect you more when you do – not less.)

8. … And they own their mistakes.

Insecurity tends to breed artificiality; confidence breeds sincerity and honesty.

That’s why truly confident people admit their mistakes. They dine out on their screw-ups. They don’t mind serving as a cautionary tale. They don’t mind being a source of laughter – for others and for themselves.

When you’re truly confident, you don’t mind occasionally “looking bad.” You realize that that when you’re genuine and unpretentious, people don’t laugh at you.

They laugh with you.

9. They only seek approval from the people who really matter.

You say you have 10k Twitter followers? Swell. 20k Facebook friends? Cool. A professional and social network of hundreds or even thousands? That’s great.

But that also pales in comparison to earning the trust and respect of the few people in your life that truly matter.

When we earn their trust and respect, no matter where we go or what we try, we do it with true confidence – because we know the people who truly matter the most are truly behind us.