Tag Archives: Networking

guest blogger, Planning, Training

3 Things Businesses Need In Abundance

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The business world is a tough one to survive in. It is no surprise that phrases such as ‘dog eat dog’ and ‘it’s tough at the top’ are used on a day to day basis when talking about business because they really do describe the way it is in today’s corporate landscape. Therefore, in order to make it in such an environment, a business and its workforce need to display certain characteristics that will take it above and beyond to supersede the competition.

A great business idea and plan of action are both imperative to succeeding as a company, but the venture is still likely to fall short if there is no real passion and motivation driving it. Here are three personal attributes that any business needs to display if they don’t want to be left standing still.

Creativity

Even the most basic business in society need to be forward thinking in their approach and therefore needs to be constantly coming up with new creative ideas. In a world that is littered with competition at every turn, it is important to stand out in as many ways as possible and being creative is going to help you do just that. New ideas are what drive a company forward and keep it always evolving. If you have a great deal of business creativity then the chances are you are likely to be the ones setting the trend rather than struggling to try and copy it.

Encourage creativity in the work place by allowing employees to share and develop any ideas they have. Arrange regular meetings between departments so that different areas of the company can interact and bounce ideas off one another, but most of all you should promote an environment that allows room for any idea to flourish; no matter how good or bad it seems. You could even send your employees on some creativity training courses in order to get the most out of them.

Dedication

Most of the big companies that are the front runners in business today would not be there if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of their valued employees. If you have people that are willing to put their all in for the benefit of the company then turning a good idea into a great one is a real possibility.

Success1

Creating a dedicated workforce is no mean feat, but it is no coincidence that some of the most successful companies in the world are also the best ones to work for. A list was recently released stating which corporations had the highest job satisfaction rate and search engine giants Google and technology overlords Apple both featured highly. Feeling valued as an employee, enjoying what they do and a good pay structure were all cited by the people surveyed and are all sure to breed dedication amongst employees.

Determination

With any business venture there are sure to be as many low points as there are high ones, maybe even more. In these situations you need to know that the people in your company are going to be able to pull together and work through the tough times. Many businesses come out of difficult periods stronger and with a better understanding of what it takes to make it in this unforgiving industry and this is much more likely to happen if everybody digs in and shows a little determination.

All businesses would almost definitely fail to get off the ground without determination. When starting your company it can be a very testing time and you will ultimately ask yourself whether this is really what you want to do and if the life of a business owner is really one you are cut out for. However, this is can be the making of a powerful business man. The determination it takes to get back up time and time again in the face of adversity will put anyone in great stead to make it in this ‘dog eat dog’ world.

Chris Mayhew is blogging here on behalf of Now Go Create. This innovative company offers courses on creativity training and brainstorm facilitation to help improve the productivity in your workplace. Creativity is integral to businesses so visit their website today to see what they can do for your company.

Careers Advice, Change, guest blogger, Job Hunting

How To Avoid A Career Plateau And Grab A Promotion

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This recession has been going on for a while now and getting a job is tough, never mind trying to progress in a successful career. For this reason, many people are finding that making progress in a job is hard; but it’s certainly not impossible.

If you are ambitious, hard working and a little bit optimistic there are plenty of opportunities out there, and improving your job prospects in 2013 is easier than you might think. All you need to do is work smart and be a little bit strategic. Try a few of the tips below and you will find your career on the up in no time.

It’s All About Networking

Being the best at your job is not sufficient on its own – you also need to be the best connected. Networking is all about knowing the right people and being open to job opportunities when they arise. In fact, being well connected can often get you a job even when you don’t necessarily feel like you are the best qualified.

Networking can be done online, and you should of course set up a LinkedIn profile and connect with all of your peers and clients. But you should also make the effort to go to conferences; either with your company or on your own if necessary. Let your boss know that you are going to the main conferences and you might even find that he comes along with you.

going up

Training To Improve Yourself

Most people are put off taking further training courses because they can be very expensive. The truth is though, that education is one of the best long term investments you can make, particularly if everyone around you is reluctant to do likewise.

Taking a training course, or even hiring a personal tutor, will help you to be better at what you do. It will also show your superiors that you are dedicated to your profession and that you are willing to invest in yourself.

Do Some Volunteer Work

Anything that sets you apart from the crowd is a good thing and since most people don’t want to spend their time working for free, doing so might help to boost your career.

If you have all the right qualifications but you lack experience, then consider volunteering for work experience in a company you would like to work for. You never know who might be paying attention, and working for free demonstrates a great deal of determination and dedication.

Often, work experience will lead to a real job, but if not, it provides experience and sets you apart from the crowd at the same time.

Ask To Be Promoted

Whilst you are busy doing work experience, training and lots of networking, you should also make sure that your boss knows that you exist and that you have big ambitions. Be open and let your boss know that you want to succeed.

You don’t have to ask for a promotion right now, but let it be known that you want more responsibility and that you want to progress. Once again, this will set you apart and means that you will be the first person your boss thinks of when an opportunity comes along.

Whilst you’re at it, ask for feedback on your current performance and find out if there is any way that you could make yourself a better employee. Regularly assess yourself and ask for more feedback so that you are always getting better and more valuable.

Guest post curtesy of the guys over here at uk Tutors.

12 days of Christmas, Careers Advice, Job Applications, Networking, No, Seasons Greetings

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

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On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me….

….. 3 French Hens! Or for our theme: On the 3rd day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me Three Networks, Two Referees and a Killer CV!

Today we’ll cover the three main networks available for free to everyone; LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter – all three of these online social networking sites have plus and minus points. But when you are looking to identify and secure a new job, the plus points outweigh the negatives. You can manage your privacy on all of these networks and I actively encourage you to do so – you could even set up specific accounts for job hunting, clearly your LinkedIn account only needs to be as is and you should look to continue maintaining it and your contacts once you secure a new role as it important when using such a business networking site that you do not pester your contacts when you need a job and then drop off the radar until the next time you need assistance.

Your Twitter account can be used to join in discussions and follow job tweets and also is a good way to start making contact with specific recruiters (as the phone seems to be an impossible barrier at times). Facebook business pages seem to be growing by the day and so are the recruitment adverts, an easy way to integrate your usual Facebook activities is by having job updates in your news feed.

Relevant articles can be found here:

 

On the 1st day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me a Killer CV

On the 2nd day of Christmas The CV Righter said to me Two Referees

On the 3rd day of Christmas The CV Righter gave to me Three Networks

Careers Advice, guest blogger, LinkedIn, Networking, News

Should you be accepting those LinkedIn invites? Managing your network – guest blog

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It is easy to click on a button and find that you have got another LinkedIn contact. Box ticked. But remember, it is not a competition to get as many friends as you can and then start boasting to your colleagues at work. The social site is designed to be a business aid and help you to build and manage your professional network. So should you be accepting invites from people willy nilly?

Well, there is a simple answer to that, and it’s no. Even the company itself recommends that you only click yes on invites when they are from people you know. Managing your network efficiently is a key part of having an account, so if you can’t control what’s happening then consider whether it is really the best tool for you/your business.

There are a number of options when it comes to invites on LinkedIn. First of all you can simply choose to accept them, which will result in the person being added as one of your first degree connections. Secondly, you can opt to wait and reply to the person who has sent you an invite, without adding them to your network. Next up is the ignore button which puts the invitation into your archive folder but does not let the person know that you have declined their invitation – this is particularly handy when you do not want to offend an acquaintance. You also have the option to report an invitation as spam.

If a person comes calling that you don’t recognise then the chances are that they are from a recruitment agency. Now linking with them can be beneficial if you are in the market for a job – after all they have gone to the trouble of finding someone with your skills and getting in touch. However, if you’re not in the market then it’s likely to be a nuisance that you don’t need. Click yes at your peril! And remember too that other people will know when you have linked with a recruitment firm – if it happens numerous times then it might just start sending warning bells to your current employer!

When it comes to security, it is important to remember to change your LinkedIn password on a regular basis. Back in June the site was the subject of some unwelcome publicity after falling victim to a security breach which resulted in the passwords of more than one million of its users being leaked. That said, changing your password is not simply enough in itself, you also need to make sure that it is not something that someone else will be able to crack without trying. Research carried out after the attack revealed that one of the top passwords stolen was 12345. A considerable number of people didn’t exactly think outside the box it seems when choosing a LinkedIn password – other popular ‘secure’ choices were “job” and “work”.

So remember, while LinkedIn can be a fantastic tool when used correctly, it is vital to consider the security implications and always be careful when accepting new contacts.

Janice Lincoln is a freelance writer specialising in business matters such as looking for jobs via an it recruitment agency.