Your Email Address Might Be The Reason You Arent Getting Interviews

Your Email Address Might Be The Reason You Arent Getting Interviews Not sure if that title is a real sentence, but the message is REAL. Last week on Facebook a friend of mine who has done a lot of hiring since Ive known him made a snarky comment about people who use a hotmail email address when they apply for a job at his company. It reminded me of my own snarky blog post from August of 2006 (JibberJobber was just a few months old at that time this was eight years ago!) titled: jason@DontHireMe.com â€" does it matter? In this eight-year-old blog post, I give my opinion (read: OPINION) about what your email provider says about you.  I talk about gmail, juno, aol, hotmail, mac, your employer, and your own private domain name. 1. What do you use? 2. What do you think?  Are people really judging others based on the email address the part after the @ symbol and perhaps discounting you as someone who is obviously behind-the-times? Your Email Address Might Be The Reason You Arent Getting Interviews Not sure if that title is a real sentence, but the message is REAL. Last week on Facebook a friend of mine who has done a lot of hiring since Ive known him made a snarky comment about people who use a hotmail email address when they apply for a job at his company. It reminded me of my own snarky blog post from August of 2006 (JibberJobber was just a few months old at that time this was eight years ago!) titled: jason@DontHireMe.com â€" does it matter? In this eight-year-old blog post, I give my opinion (read: OPINION) about what your email provider says about you.  I talk about gmail, juno, aol, hotmail, mac, your employer, and your own private domain name. 1. What do you use? 2. What do you think?  Are people really judging others based on the email address the part after the @ symbol and perhaps discounting you as someone who is obviously behind-the-times? Your Email Address Might Be The Reason You Arent Getting Interviews Not sure if that title is a real sentence, but the message is REAL. Last week on Facebook a friend of mine who has done a lot of hiring since Ive known him made a snarky comment about people who use a hotmail email address when they apply for a job at his company. It reminded me of my own snarky blog post from August of 2006 (JibberJobber was just a few months old at that time this was eight years ago!) titled: jason@DontHireMe.com â€" does it matter? In this eight-year-old blog post, I give my opinion (read: OPINION) about what your email provider says about you.  I talk about gmail, juno, aol, hotmail, mac, your employer, and your own private domain name. 1. What do you use? 2. What do you think?  Are people really judging others based on the email address the part after the @ symbol and perhaps discounting you as someone who is obviously behind-the-times?

For a startup, money doesnt solve problems, it just changes them

For a startup, money doesnt solve problems, it just changes them We finally locked up funding for my company. There are some catches, though, and one of them is that we cant use the funding to pay back debt. This is a problem because our company has been out of money, pretty much, since November. We have revenue, but not enough to cover operating expenses. So weve all given up a portion of our salary for a while now. And we stopped paying rent. And we didnt pay freelancers, (which meant that for the past months, any time something broke, it was very high stakes because we couldnt hire someone to fix it.) The lack of money got so bad that one day I was driving to Chicago to meet an investor but the company credit card (which is really Ryan Healys credit card) was declined. And I didnt have money for gas. So I had to drive back to the Brazen Careerist office and get money from Ryan Paugh, who is the only person in the company who has any sort of financial cushion in his life. But he only had $20, which is not enough to get to Chicago, so the investor had to meet me in Milwaukee. And buy me lunch. The no-money thing has also been stressful at home. At first I cut back on stuff that was not a good idea. Like, cut back on the vet for our two new kittens, and then it turns out they are not that new, at least to the world, because one got the other pregnant. And now its really expensive because we have to have a cat abortion. So I looked for more innocuous cutbacks and thought of my ex-husband. I am supposed to be paying him $250 every month for two years. But he already sort of lives in my house anyway. Because Im nice. And I thought maybe he wouldnt notice it if I didnt pay him that. Or he wouldnt say anything. Because hes nice. I also cut back on the cleaning woman who comes every day. Please shut up about how its a luxury. Anyone who has a stay-at-home spouse has someone doing a quick clean up of their house every day. Also, its pretty hard to have an ex-husband in and out of my house every day if I have to clean up after him. And, a clean house is so important to women that it is actually a good indicator of whether or not shell want to have sex. Women like having sex more when their house is clean. Not that anyone is having sex in my house. Well, except for the kittens. But my point is that cleaning is important. I also thought it would be good to decrease household help because the other night we were having dinner and my six-year-old found an apple seed. He said, Lets save this til the spring and then plant it and grow an apple tree. And we can water it every day. I mean, we can pay someone to water it. Okay. So I told myself cutting back expenses is an okay thing to do to keep the company going. And then we got funding, but we are not allowed to use the funding to pay debt. So all the months that people have been expecting to get back pay, they are wrong. Thats not happening. And, also, all the freelancers are not going to get paid. The investor tells me, Oh, this is fine. Treat your stock like Monopoly money and give it to the freelancers. This does not sound right to me. So I call the guy on my advisory board who is plugged in to all things Silicon Valley. He tells me that paying stock is generous. He says a lot of companies would just not pay. Period. I am still scared, though. I was a freelance writer for five years, and I got so frustrated when people didnt pay. But I called one of the freelancers we owe money to and asked him if hed take stock and he confirmed what my advisory board member said: Stock is surprisingly generous and startups screw people over all the time. Great. Now Im ready to make the rest of the calls. Things go pretty well. No one is happy. But we have always hired freelancers we adore, so we have good relationships well at least we do at the beginning of the calls. Then I get to my SEO guy. He is a nut. First of all. Let me tell you a little about the SEO world. It happens after dark. I dont know why the SEO guys dont sleep, but they dont. Also, its always guys. I think because SEO runs a lot like the mob and the mob is all guys. Really, think about it. Who are the top Diggers? Guys who never change out of their pajamas. And who is ranking on Google for top search phrases like buy guitar lessons right now or whatever. Thats right. Guys who never change their pajamas. So, anyway, my SEO guy is very gracious about the stock. And I make a note to myself to maybe stop twittering about how hes a crazy person. But then he calls back and says, Uh. Could I have links instead of stock? Really. He tells me his plan to dominate the world by having his various web sites rank high on Google for odd business term searches. And, then, after he shows me all the places on my blog where I mention the perfect business phrase for linking to him, he says, Um. And also, you know that post about your first date with the farmer? Id like a link there, too. Yep. Thats right. My SEO guy has a gardening site, and apparently my farmer page is one of the most popular pages on the Internet for this one, specific word, which he does not want me to tell you because he thinks you will then develop a site yourself to leverage traffic from this word. I go to the board meeting with Ryan and Ryan. We report that we got the debt off the books and were ready to take in the money. And I am feeling sort of good. Like were turning a new page in the life of our company. And snow is thawing, and Ill draw a salary again and Ill get some cute spring skirts. In fact, Im hoping maybe Ill get enough money to revamp my whole wardrobe: Does anyone want to buy a link on that farmer post?

Power Your Dream with NAWBO

Power Your Dream with NAWBO By, Ashley Crimaldi As I was flipping through Ms. Magazine the other day, I stumbled upon a listing for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) annual conference coming up June 24-26. The conference aims to propel women entrepreneurs to the the next level of success through a series of speakers, workshops and networking events. So dont miss out! This year, the conference will be held in Chicago, IL at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel Towers. If you are  a female entrepreneur and looking to boost your business, this may be the perfect conference to attend! Click here for more  details, or to  register.

Tips to Build Your Relationship Like a Successful Entrepreneur -

Tips to Build Your Relationship Like a Successful Entrepreneur - A strong, healthy relationship, like the work of a keen entrepreneur, requires investment. The investment, whether it comes in the form of thought, support, time, or space, all translates into building the relationship. While we mostly work around the ideas and means you can use in your career pursuits, this post is a little different. Investing in your relationship is an ongoing job, and you must be mindful of your progress all the time. One of the key features you’ll discover while thinking like an entrepreneur in relationships is that every sound relationship requires a solid foundation, which is a basic premise of a successful business enterprise. Guess you need to figure out the key common ingredients to get our point! In this post, we shall share with you the tips to build your relationship as an entrepreneur prepares for a successful business enterprise. Experiment with new ideas. Yes, keeping a relationship fun and exciting is one of the key features of a sound relationship. It involves evolving. Adapting to change, exploring new horizons, and harnessing tolerance for uncertainty are the cornerstones of the character of an entrepreneur. These are the building blocks of a strong relationship as well. Make it teamwork. Collaboration is more constructive than individual participation. Collaboration in the workplace leads to dynamic ideas and open problem solving. In a relationship, there is mutual gratification, in addition to a more mindful approach towards recognizing each others strengths and weaknesses. Set goals. Know what you and your partner want from your relationship. Assign yourself goals, plan for them like you’d strategize your next big venture. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, or the wedding ceremony, or the next ten years … plan ahead. Remember, only when you plan properly you’re able to bring your A game to the table. Work tirelessly. Like a passionate entrepreneur who never shies from going the extra mile, working on a relationship is all about building each day. The partners work towards a shared vision; contributing their best; complementing each other’s fears and hesitations. Celebrate success. Long haul journeys are best traveled when journeying is the destination each step. As is the tradition of successful entrepreneurs, honor each milestone of the path. Treat your partner and yourself to a little treat every now and then. Go for adventure. Indulge in luxury. Surprise one another. Any sort of building is a strenuous process, be it a business enterprise or a mutually fulfilling relationship. It requires the participants to be focused on success and to be fearlessly hungry for achieving their goals. The reward is not only individually satisfying but a mutually gratifying experience for each partner.

Resume Writing Assistance For Veterans

Resume Writing Assistance For VeteransWith the help of resume writing assistance for veterans, you can write a powerful and impressive resume. Veterans are usually those who have served their country and then went on to become an educated individual. Many veterans make a great deal of money after leaving the military due to their higher education level.This is because a college education is very beneficial to anyone and for a lot of reasons. You will have the added benefit of your skills working for you as well. But you will need the help of resume writing assistance for veterans in order to get this.Resume writing assistance for veterans can provide you with high quality writing services. A quality resume helps you get the job you want and helps others see you as a professional. If you do not have an effective resume then others may think poorly of you which will make it difficult to get a new job. By learning how to write a professional resume, you will have a higher chance of gett ing hired.This will be especially helpful to those who were discharged with physical or mental disabilities or those who were born with a physical or mental handicap. Veterans have a better shot at getting the job they want if they are more qualified than their competition. The way you present yourself is the first thing the employer will notice.If you do not feel that you are qualified enough for the job, but have all the skills that will be required by your employer, then you should look into the various resume writing assistance for veterans' programs that are available today. These are people who have professional writing skills and writing experience. They will be able to provide you with professional resumes that will be more desirable to employers.These people will come from many different backgrounds including military veterans, nurses, doctors, professors, and even people who are serving overseas. You should not be surprised at the sheer number of resumes available to them. They have their hands full to find the best applicant to help you get the job you want. Resume writing assistance for veterans is what you need to get your job.This is the right resume to get you hired and help you get out of your current situation. Do not wait until the next time you apply for a job. Give yourself the best chance possible by giving yourself resume writing assistance for veterans.You can have the assistance of someone who has already been through what you are going through in order to get the results you want. In fact, you will be able to get help from the experts themselves when you go online to find one. It is time to take charge of your life and take the steps to make sure that you get a new job by using resume writing assistance for veterans.

Be in a career that excites and energizes you, and makes you proud

Be in a career that excites and energizes you, and makes you proud Be in a career that excites and energizes you, and makes you proud Be in a career that excites and energizes you, and makes you proud November 17, 2009 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas 4 Comments I received an e-mail that made my heart sink. It was from someone I didn’t know who said that his career had sunk so low that he couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror anymore. I could see from his resume that he was a senior high tech developer, had an MBA, and was an adjunct lecturer for a well known university. So how could someone who clearly has such great discipline, training, and skills be at such a low point in his career? I’m sharing this because I don’t want YOU to ever be in this situation. I want you to be in a career that excites and energizes you, and makes you proud. If your career is making you feel unmotivated, and undervalued, then make a commitment to yourself to change jobs. Yes, change is scary, but sometimes the thought of NOT changing and staying in your job long term can be even more terrifying. Take the first step in making a career change by building a strong support system around you. Talk to others who inspire, motivate you, or can teach you how to get into the job you really want. Find mentors and a career coach who can give you tools and resources to help you make a career change quickly and easily. (Even Tiger Woods has three (3) professional coaches helping him advance his career.) Life’s too short to stay in a career that disappoints you. Get determined to work for an organization that values and appreciates all that you have to offer. Not only will you have a more enriching career, but you’ll have a more enriching life. And you’ll actually enjoy looking at your beautiful self in the mirror.

Smart Networking

Smart Networking I  met  Liz Lynch,  author of  Smart Networking,  about 4 years ago after reading her spot on book,  102 Secrets to Smarter Networking  and inviting her to speak to a group of HR professionals in transition at the  Human Resources Association of New York.  What I loved about Liz and her presentation was her authenticity. None of the strategies she recommended were gimmicky and there was a strategy for everyone no matter how uncomfortable they were with the process of networking.  So naturally I was thrilled when I learned that Liz recently published  Smart Networking.  Liz once again delivers networking tips that can be applied by real people and I will be writing more about this excellent resource later on this week. Last week I had the opportunity to pick her brain on some of the networking questions I know are on job seekers minds and Liz graciously shared her thoughts about networking as it relates to job seekers.    What advice do you have for job seekers who have let their net works lapse for several years and now need to reach out to people for help accelerating their job search?  Youre likely to get help more quickly from those who already know, like and trust you, vs. from total strangers, so start reconnecting with old contacts first. For the people with whom you had strong relationships in the past, theyre probably more willing to spend time with you in person or on the phone to discuss your career plans, so contact them directly. For those with whom you have weaker ties, connecting with them on LinkedIn first is a lot less intrusive than sending a direct email because youre just inviting them to connect, not asking for anything. You can build up to that later.  What advice do you have for people who reach out to their network but claim they get nothing in return?  The most important skill that smart networkers should master is the art of the ask, where you think strategically about who to ask, what to ask for and how to ask. For example , when youre not getting help, then evaluate, Is what Im asking for reasonable? Is it specific? When most job seekers reach out to contacts, they say, Im looking for a job, can you help me? But realistically, very few people have a job in their back pocket for you, so asking for one is unreasonable. In terms of getting more specific, would you like advice on what to highlight on your resume or an introduction to a specific person at your target company? Its up to you think through what would be appropriate based on the closeness of your relationship and the capabilities of the other person.  What tips do you have for reaching out to networking contacts when everyone is so busy and reluctant to take yet another meeting?  This goes back to the art of the ask. Realize that it is an imposition to ask someone who isnt your best friend or a relative to spend two hours with you at lunch. So why not ask for something smaller? Most people would be willing to agree to a 10-15 min phone call. That shorter timeframe forces you to be prepared in advance and laser-focused about your meeting agenda. Its even possible to get as much accomplished than you would in an unfocused two-hour meeting.  What do you tell people who think that networking is too time consuming?  Dont confuse activity with progress. Just because you clock in a lot of hours, it doesnt mean youre meeting the right people, doing the right things, or doing them in the right way. Evaluate how youre spending your networking time and either give up the things that arent working, or tweak your approach to be more effective. Smart networking is about learning to maximize your face-to-face interactions, while leveraging online tools that can make parts of your networking automatic. By networking smart, you wont have to network hard.  What are 3 examples of unlikely but effective places to network?  1) Holiday parties. The economy may reduce the number of social gatherings this season, but that may not be such a bad things since people are less likely to be partied out. Be mindful of the spirit of the event, however. Focus on building rapport with folks, and leave the hard-core job stuff for later. In other words, dont bring your resume or corner people for information about potential job openings in their companies. Have low-key conversations, be prepared to talk about yourself when asked, but also express interest in learning more about others.  2) Blogs. Smart networking isnt just about asking for help appropriately. Its about being visible and getting the attention of those in influential positions because of the value youre adding, and having opportunities come to you. Get active on the 1 or 2 most popular blogs in your industry. Leave thoughtful comments. You may just capture the attention of the blog author and other commenters.  3) Community organizations. Get involved in a local group whose mission you believe in. It could be a group that help s underprivileged kids, or one that seeks to preserve historical sites in your area, whatever has meaning for you. Get to know the leaders and other members. Join a committee. When you work and collaborate with others, youll be on your way to building genuine and supportive relationships.