Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Project Manager Success in the First 100 Days

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Project Manager Success in the First 100 Days In March, Gartner analysts Mbula Schoen and Michael Hanford outlined their recommendations for new PMOs in a detailed report, The PMO Leader’s First 100 Days. Schoen and Hanford defined project management office, or PMO, as a function designed to facilitate and improve the management of projects through the application and use of PPM disciplines, such as project management and program management. The PMO also participates in business and IT governance activities by providing some degree of execution, analysis, and visibility into proposed and existing initiatives. New PMO leaders must balance the need to build relationships, meet expectations, and gain acceptance and buy-in. The analysts suggested that they view target outcomes in terms of five phases that often overlap: Prepare, Assess, Plan, Act, and Measure. Prepare Phase (Days -10 to 15) As with any new strategic role, it helps to optimize your chances for success before you “officially” begin. “Prior to starting work, you must work with your (almost) new boss and major stakeholders to be sure you’re all on the same page regarding expectations and a shared view of what success is and what it will be,” said Schoen and Hanford. “Check, at a minimum, that the following are in place as you go forward.” A reporting relationship to an influential, well-positioned executive who embraces the value of the PMO. His/her authority and political connections are one of your major assets. A good understanding of the purpose of the PMO, ensuring it is aligned with organizational objectives. Many new PMO leaders wrongly assume their purpose is to institute tighter controls, often slowing down the system, when the actual purpose is to speed the system up. A set of expectations by those leaders who agreed to the need for a PMO. Determine that the PMO can (mostly) meet these expectations inside the current culture, its proposed organizational location, and the political climate and organizational maturity. A proposed level of staffing and resources that’s a realistic match to the expectations. For more where this came from, head over to QuickBases Fast Track blog.

Guidelines to Writing a Resume

Guidelines to Writing a ResumeHow do you write a resume that will grab the attention of your potential employer? There are several pointers that you can use to accomplish this goal. Follow these guidelines and you will find yourself making the most of your time at the interview table.The first and most important thing that you need to do is determine the goal that you are trying to achieve. In most cases, you will want to reach your dream of working in an amazing position in your chosen field. Therefore, the purpose of your resume is to highlight all of the great qualities that you possess. In addition, it should be short and to the point.It is important to also consider the practical application of the information contained in your resume. It should be able to provide a clear and concise answer to the question, 'What kind of job would I enjoy?' When it comes to finding this answer, you can think of some things that you could have done well in the past. The best way to put it is, 'Wh at are the best qualities that I have?' This should be your ultimate goal in looking for what to put on your resume.Another factor that is very important is to focus on the educational background of yourself and others. This is a very important factor when trying to create a resume that will bring in a job offer. A good candidate may have good academic credentials but lack the necessary experience. The perfect candidate will not only have some relevant experience but will also have some great academic credentials.Lastly, you will want to take into consideration your personal impressions of the position that you are applying for. What kind of people are they? What kinds of events have they attended?The experience you have from your personal experiences will be very valuable when you are writing a resume. It will help you to be more articulate about the strengths and weaknesses that you possess. The words that you use in your resume should represent you as a person. It should also mak e the reader understand that you are capable of doing the job well.You also need to pay attention to the facts that you include in your resume. Some of the things that you need to be careful about include the use of numbers. In order to create a resume that will really stand out, you should only include numbers if they are there for a good reason. If there are numbers included that do not show something that is relevant, you should remove them from your resume.Remember, when writing a resume, you are not writing a professional paper. You are writing a resume that will be used as your first introduction into an interview process. In order to make it all work, it is important to follow these guidelines to writing a resume.

Five Questions Amy Rankin on Public Relations

Five Questions Amy Rankin on Public Relations I meet people all the time who ask for advice about transitioning to a new field. In this occasional series, I’ll ask friends with cool jobs five questions about how they got to where they are today. Im starting with Amy Rankin, who has worked in public relations for years, and currently works for  Scott-McRae Advertising. (My comments, in red, follow hers.)  Did you always know you wanted to work in your field? Was yours a straight course, or did you back into / fall into a job that led you to the career? I went to college to become a social worker and along the way got involved with working for the campus radio station and the college’s sports information department.   There weren’t any women involved in sports public relations back then so it was truly groundbreaking.   The radio station was a volunteer effort but I got paid for the Sports Information Department position.   It led me to a career in sports public relations when I graduated college.   That part time job (15 hours a week) taught me how to write AP style, how to pitch media stories and how to work on a deadline.  What you can learn from this: Part-time and volunteer jobs are a great way to learn new skills and make new connections.   Try out a new career in a lower-risk setting before making up your mind about a change 2.   What skill is the most valuable one you developed for your success? Was it a skill you learned in school / college, or one you learned on the   job? The ability to get the job done, to write clearly, and to exhibit critical thinking/problem solving skills have been vital to my success.   More importantly, though, I had great mentors.   They were people who took an interest in me and my career and helped me along the way. Note: Employers tell us that writing and critical thinking are two of the rarest â€" and therefore most valuable â€" skills they seek in candidates. If you’re a liberal arts major, these may be the most marketable skills you get from your education. 3.  What do you wish you knew then (early in your career) that you know now? Not to sweat the small stuff so much.   It will all work out one way or another.   Just do the best you can. 4.   What is the biggest misperception about your career or industry? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a young college student majoring in public relations tell me that he/she likes public relations because they like people.   Liking people is wonderful but it is not really a skill that is vital to success in public relations.   What you really need to know is how to critically think, what the major topics are in the world around you, a little bit of history/sociology/psychology and throw in a bit of creativity. Note: Liking people is a separate quality from understanding people. It’s helpful to know the difference and where your strength is. No one will ask you to send  a people sample with your resume. 5.  What advice would you give someone considering going into this field? Learn how to write.   Learn grammar.   Read LEGITIMATE media sources like Wall St. Journal, New York Times, Washington Post every single day. Summary: Read. Write. Read better. Write better. Repeat. Amy Rankin, an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and an associate member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, has over 30 years of experience working in marketing, advertising and public relations in Northeast Florida.   Prior to joining Scott-McRae Advertising in 2001, she served as Vice President/Account Group Manager and Public Relations Director at St. John Partners Advertising and Public Relations for 11 years. She began her public relations career working for the World Football League, North American Soccer League and player agent Donald Dell (who represented Arthur Ashe, Tracy Austin, Moses Malone among others) prior to moving to Northeast Florida.   She has served as Communications Director for Amelia Island Plantation, Sawgrass, and the Jacksonville Tea Men soccer team before joining St. John Partners. Ms. Rankin has extensive experience in market research, brand development, media relations, print and broadcast creative, website development, special event management, social media, and crisis management. Ms. Rankin graduated Douglass College of Rutgers University with a B.A. in sociology and has attended the University of North Florida’s M.B.A. program.

Leveraging the Hidden Job Market Through Online Activities

Leveraging the Hidden Job Market Through Online Activities Are you overlooking hidden jobs and missing online opportunities?What’s your online job seeker “IQ?”As a career advocate (coach and recruiter), I speak to many disheartened, disenchanted, frustrated, and yet hopeful job seekers who are genuinely trying to find suitable work.A disproportionate number of job seekersare hitting a wall after expending a great deal of energy.Or at a minimum, are encountering seemingly impassable roadblocks.It’s often said that “knowledge is power,” but I subscribe to a different school of thought.From my perspective, knowledge plus action (and a bit of good timing and luck) can often make all the difference.The Numbers Don't LieThere are many activities into which those in transition can engage, but not all activity equals productivity.Unproductive job search activities conjure up an image in my mind of a hamster on a treadmill.For instance, depending on the study, 66 -88% of job seekers land jobs with the help of a network.Knowing this, why d on’t more job seekers spend a greater amount of time networking?The most common answers are that networking for many can ...Be uncomfortable. Be highly unpredictable. Takea fair amount of work. Takequite a bit of skill.Still, there’s no denying the statistics, so networking should be a key job search activity.The same applies to LinkedIn.There are still too many job seekers who deny the statistic that a compelling percentage of recruiters, HR folks, and hiring managers are searching LinkedIn for candidates (87%, per the June 2016 Jobvite study).Why then, aren’t all job seekers on LinkedIn?And why aren’t those who are LinkedIn members maximizing the tools and functionality, especially the free ones?!?In today’s job market, you must remain ahead of the curve.Some of the best ways to accomplish this are to leverage the Internet.Ideas to Help Job Seekers Become SavvyBelow are some ideas and questions to ask yourself to help betteroptimize your online presence.LinkedIn Profile Do you have one? Optimize Your Profile Is your profile optimal with the right keywords in the right places to attract recruiters/hiring managers/others who may want YOU to be in THEIR network or those whom YOU want to be in YOUR network? Outreach Are you reaching out to LinkedIn power bases? BOTH Open Link members (with paid Premium accounts ? many of whom allow you to send them a free Inmail) and L.I.O.N.s (LinkedIn Open Networkers with 500+ 1st connections)? LinkedIn Endorsements If your top 10 shown are NOT in-line with your target job, write to those who can confirm your skills. Ask them to endorse those skills to get them to appear as your top 10. (Note that endorsements can be reordered in the editing function). It’s best to ensure that enough of those in your LinkedIn network is endorsing the skills you wish to display first. What's your network quotient?Do you have a mix of those you KNOW WELL and those who are WELL NETWORKED? Experts agree that you need both. What is yo ur GOAL mix comfort level? (90/10? 80/20? 70/30?)Network buildingAre you PURPOSEFULLY AND TACTICALLY building your network with weekly network growth goals (e.g., inviting 20 new contacts every week)?Keeping pace with your industryAre you “Following” BOTH your target companies and laser-focused individuals on LinkedIn? Doing so provides relevant news feeds and evidences your ongoing interest in keeping up with the latest news, jobs, etc. Are these VISIBLE on your homepage? (Recruiters and hiring managers look for/notice these things.)Industry-specific URLsIn addition to mainstream job boards, are you regularly scheduling and conducting searches on laser-focused industry-related or job-specific websites?Attach work samples on LinkedInInclude contact info so recruiters can contact you easily. You can also attach your resume on LinkedIn (for those with multiple resumes, this may not be advisable.).Job Boards/Resume RepositoriesBe sure to update/refresh your resume on LinkedIn.com, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, Indeed.com, ZipRecruiter.com, GlassDoor.com, etc., as this will attract attention.Indeed.comAre you aware that recruiters can see your resume on Indeed.com, even if they do NOT have a paid subscription? Click on “Find Resumes” in the upper left, and type your name as well as your zip code. Does your current resume appear? Indeed removes the contact information from the top of your resume, so you can list an email address and/or your LinkedIn profile address elsewhere on your resume to best ensure that you get a call. (Indeed also may still offer you the option to edit your profile/resume after you upload it and if so, you can list your phone number.)Job Alerts on Other SitesTarget companies’ website career pages.Settings (on LinkedIn and other career sites)Are they set properly? Is your activity feed busy? Is your profile visible or private? Make sure your settings on all social network sites are set properly.Is It Apparent You Are Open to Oppor tunities? Do you state in your headline, summary, or elsewhere that you are “exploring,” “seeking,” or “looking” for other opportunities? Or do you state what you are doing on an interim basis? What does your status suggest?Do you state that you are a consultant? If so, a recruiter or hiring manager may pass on you believing that you are settling into a consulting career. If you are not, try, “Interim consultant” or “Currently taking on consulting assignments while seeking suitable full-time work.”Are You Accessible Online? Do you display some LI groups so that recruiters can message you through the group? Better yet, do you have a dedicated job search email and phone number (If not, go to Google and register for a new email and a FREE Google Voice phone number to use strictly for your job search.) Be sure to list your contact info in these two places on your profile: Summary Additional information, advice for contacting So, how online-savvy are you? And more importantly, how much MORE savvy will you be by implementing any of the ideas above that are new to you? I suggest that you prioritize the above list and begin chipping away at it. Although there is no one “silver bullet,” these ideas work and are highly productive job search activities. Those who are serious about achieving employment sooner rather than later will greatly benefit by systematically heeding the above advice.For more tips, check out 19 Essential LinkedIn Profile Tips For Job Seekers.Need Some Help?Are you nervous about that next big job interview?If you need some more helpful tips on interviews, check outFind My Profession.We offer resume writing services, as well as career coachingpackages.Get in touch today and let us help you navigate your job search.Happy networking, and happy hunting!

Skills Needed in Upwork Resume Writing Service

Skills Needed in Upwork Resume Writing ServiceUpwork resume writing service will definitely help you a lot in your career endeavors. Your personal branding is the most important part of your career plan and if it is not handled correctly, you will be experiencing a lot of difficulties in accomplishing your goal. Upwork resume writing service is truly a great help for anyone who wants to advertise his/her profile. And of course, they will also help you develop a personal branding plan so that you are able to stand out among the crowd.In order to be able to acquire the services of an Upwork resume writing service, you have to do some basic research first. You have to find out which company or job posting is your most preferred option. You have to choose one that will be able to fulfill your needs in terms of skills, personality, qualifications, professionalism, experience, etc.You must keep in mind that you should never compromise on quality when you are choosing an Upwork resume writi ng service. While you may not want to spend a lot of money on an outsourcing job, the best way to do it is to be selective and choose a good job in a reputable company. You can search for different jobs online and then choose one that fits your criteria. You can have your personalized resume to create one by visiting their website.But always remember that your goal is to be listed first and you should not try to fake your way through your jobs or create fictional stories and make a convincing resume about your real life experience. This will surely get you a bad reputation in the job market and you will be placed at the back of the line instead of being a 'first time' applicant.Setting your profile with this kind of website is actually not that easy task because of the detailed requirements that they have to follow. As a professional, you must be able to understand these requirements and work around them accordingly. Here are some common suggestions that you can try: Include keyword s in your resume to maximize the search engines. For example, if you are a freelance writer, you can insert keywords such as freelance writer or fiction writer.When you upload your resume, make sure that you use a neat-looking template. You may use HTML formatting codes to avoid computer errors. Always include your contact details, name, and any other personal details that you think will help you get noticed in the job market. You can add your company's URL as well.People tend to leave the right impression about themselves by sticking to their own style. You have to always think about your professional image and personal branding when submitting your resume. When you are creating your personal brand, you can hire someone to create your website's appearance and create your personal portfolio as well.Resume writing service providers do not only provide your resume but also give you tips on how to build a profile for your online business. They also provide various tools that you can us e to promote your website and sell it. These professional websites will also let you know about what types of jobs are available for your niche and how to effectively use different search engines to get traffic.

6 Invaluable Success Lessons Bill Gates Can Teach You!

6 Invaluable Success Lessons Bill Gates Can Teach You! You will have noticed people focusing more on the popularity and wealth of successful personalities rather than finding their actual approach to get success. For instance, everyone praises the success and wealth of Bill Gates but few people actually find out his path of getting success in a life. Make sure that you are not among those people who just focus on the wealth and popularity of successful personalities.No doubt, the life of Bill Gates is full of success lessons and if you are very serious to get success in your own life then knowing the success lessons of Bill Gates is really important.evalThis write-up will help you a lot in knowing those success lessons of Bill Gates.Followings are those lessons of Bill Gates, make sure you go through all of them as they will benefit you a lot to get success.1. Kick Off With A High AimevalWhen it comes to the success lessons of Bill Gates so it is the first lesson you will have to kick off with. It is a fact that his high aim happened to be the key factor to come up with the Microsoft, world’s famous tech giant. The high aim has made him find his capabilities and using those capabilities has rewarded him great popularity in the tech world.2. Have A Visionary ApproachIf you really want to become a successful person like Bill Gates then you will have to make sure that you also have the visionary approach. People know Bill Gates as the person who always has the visionary approach and that also plays an important part to get success in life. Having a visionary approach will also strengthen you to deal with challenges effectively.3. Say No To DistractionsWhile digging out the life of Bill Gates, you will find that he has always remained highly focused on achieving his goals and that has also made him stay away from distractions. Make sure that you follow this approach of Bill Gates to stay away from distractions as they may come in your way to get a success in your life.4. Do Value Your Own TimeHaving gone through the life of Bill Gates, you will definitely admit that the “time is money”. It is the success lesson of Bill Gates, which can get you 50% close to achieve your goal and it means you must not overlook it. Bill Gates has said that “No matter how much money you have, you are unable to buy a time”. Stay focused to make your time productive if you wish to follow the path of Bill Gates to get success in your life.5. Believe In Your Revolutionary IdeaevalWhile digging out the early 80s, you will find that Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer were really confident to witness graphic interfaces as the future operating systems. At that time, people did not give much importance to it but their attitudes immediately changed as Apple came up with Macintosh consisting of graphical user interface.6. Learn From Your Own MistakesevalIt is another important success lesson of Bill Gates, which you should remember always. If you blame other people for your own mistakes then getting a successful life is onl y a dream for you. Throughout the life of Bill Gates, he has never blamed others for any mistake and that sustained him on the right path to get success in his life.All these above-mentioned are some worth-noticing success lessons of Bill Gates, make sure you always remember them in your life as your life is not purposeless. If you evaluate these lessons more thoroughly, you will find them asking you one thing and it is to stay highly focused on what you want to achieve.

Resume

What Is Better A One Or Two Page CV / Resume There is no single right answer to this question, at least not in a generic sense. It really depends: on what the applicant has to say, how the organization likes to receive the information, and what they may view as standing out from the crowd in a positive way, among other things.   And even then, each person reading the CV within the organization may have a different view and reaction.   I suppose that's why the world can support so many brands of shampoo, cereal and other consumer branded products (and hopefully more job applicants as well). As a recipient of many many CVs over a 24-year career in banking, I would say that while less is more is definitely good advice as the CV is a hook, I have no problem reading further than one page if the content is worthwhile.   In that light, I do find it compelling to differentiate between a senior manager with decades of experience who can get away with more than one page, versus a more recent graduate where it would be unusual to need added space (although nowadays, some of our young people have done amazing things by the time they are 18!).I also liked to be able to piece together how the individual spent their time, and whether there were any unexplained gaps.   In that light, I found the traditional chronological CV helpful, although I can see how others could view this as boring and too restrictive.   It seems that the new thinking is to use more of a functional and/or marketing-oriented approach.   Whatever the presentation style, I liked to know that all the time was accou nted for in a productive way, and I liked to see the person's journey and the logic behind what they did and when they did it.   It would worry me to have the timeline so obfuscated that I felt the applicant was trying to hide something. The other thing to consider is the cover note: this is an integral part of the hook if you can be sure that the note and the CV will remain attached together.   The cover note is particularly important in my book if the CV is emailed as an attachment since the note is the first thing I will read, and I may or may not get around to opening the attachment (now that I think of it, maybe it's good to cut and paste the CV into the body of the email as well). Finally, it mattered to me how the CV came to be on my desk in the first place.   The amount of time I was willing to spend on an unsolicited CV was far less than one referred by a retained search firm or by someone in my network. In fact, I might even have asked my very effective and longstanding PA for her opinion as to whether it was worth my time to look at the unsolicited CV, and who it should be forwarded onto if anyone (sorry!).   If you are sending yours unsolicited, then it is even more important that the cover note and the CV itself are grabbing my attention and impressing me within the first paragraph. Basically, the CV is just one tool to get someone to see you, meet with you, give you a chance.   Having the turbo charge effect of one's network really helps tremendously on this front.   And remember, the person doing the reading is most likely trying to capture the essence of you into a mental sound bite, so if you can help them form that accurate digestible opinion, all the better.

Creating Career Possibilities For Yourself in 3 Short Steps - Hallie Crawford

Creating Career Possibilities For Yourself in 3 Short Steps About 12 years ago, I visited San Francisco with my boyfriend. One day we decided to ride bikes across the Golden Gate bridge. That bridge is huge, the water underneath it is cold and choppy. The whole image of the bridge inspires awe and can be intimidating too. Plus, it was very windy and chilly that day. The wind was blowing against us. I remember standing there before we started and thinking â€" this is big, the bridge is long, the wind’s blowing against us, and I don’t  know what’s on the other side. This is a little intimidating! Do I really want to do this? And where are we going to end up anyway- what’s on the other side and is it really worth it? I’m from Florida so I don’t like chilly and windy. Halfway across the bridge we paused for a break, and these  thoughts are repeating over and over in my mind â€" is this really worth it? Can’t I just turn back and have the wind at my back instead? In that moment halfway across the bridge, suspended over  turbulent wat ers, I knew I was faced with a decision. Do I push forward, or do I turn around and retreat? There’s no harm in going back right? I often think about that moment in my life even today.  I especially recall it when working with career transition clients who are facing their futures with so much uncertainty. Right now, there’s a whole lot of uncertainty with the economy the way it is. As we all know â€" unemployment rate is at least 8%? Good news is that you can create possibility and opportunity for yourself despite being laid off in three stepsâ€" build a new bridge over this obstacle in your life just as you have with other obstacles you have faced. Step One- Realize Your Job is Not Your Identity. It’s important to shift your perspective and change what it means to be in career transition because without a changed perspective you won’t move forward at all. The words you use to describe a career transition make a difference! You can say things like, “A space has opened up,” “There is an opportunity here,” “A door has opened.” These are all different and positive ways to look at it. Attitude is everything. The definition of attitude is: a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings, and dispositions to act in certain ways. Attitude starts in your mind and affects what action steps you take towards your goal. If you have a defeated attitude to begin with, that’s what happens in your world. Focus on gratitude- change your mental filter. Instead of thinking, “I’m a victim,” say instead “I have a chance here to recreate my reality.” Choose to become grateful for what you have instead of focusing on wh at you don’t have. Step Two- Uncover Your Not-So-Hidden Talents. Define success your way, not based on what others say or what society tells you necessarily. Re-create your reality. Are you using your talents? The talents you want to be using? Are you passionate about your job? These questions allow you to access what your heart knows. Think about what talents you would love to use in a career. What would make you want to jump out of bed in the morning to go to work? If money were no object and you were guaranteed for success, what would you be doing for a job? Nearly ½ of US workers expect to be working at traditional retirement age of 67- that’s a long time! Make sure you are doing something that you enjoy. Step Three- State What You Want. This step has to do with trusting in the face of the unknown. Being laid off/being in flux is scary and hard for people. Especially with this tough economy, we don’t believe there’s something out there for us. The news tells us there aren’t jobs out there, but what if there are tons of opportunities out there? You have to allow them, find them, and seek them out. Tune into what’s possible. It’s also important to move past scarcity thinking. This happens too with the tough economy- we think there aren’t enough jobs for everyone. It’s the mentality of someone else wins and I lose. Shift your perspective instead to there’s enough for everyone. Belief is essential; without belief nothing is possible. We know that athletes who visualize their success see themselves winning. The belief goes to a subconscious level for them and they are more likely to succeed because of it. We can do this too. Define your goal with your career transition. Kn ow what direction you’re going in. Now that your job is gone, this is your chance to redefine yourself. State what you want and believe in it. What should you do after analyzing these three steps? Visualize. Close your eyes for me for a moment and think about this… What would your life look like if you re-created your reality? If you could step into it tomorrow? You wake up, ready for the day completely energized, believing in yourself, confident, and a spring in your step. You step outside and there’s a new reality here waiting to greet you. What 3 things would be different for you? Go from your heart, no thinking or intuition. Relish this for a moment, feel how this new reality feels. Share with someone if you can. Now, take a breath and shift gears. What would it be like to not reach what you just saw? What would be lost if you never gave this new reality a chance to happen? If those 3 things never occurred, how would that feel? What opportunity would be missed? Take Action. So I was halfway across the golden gate bridge, and I thought about what was going to be lost if I didn’t cross the bridge. I had the opportunity to turn back, but in the end I knew I didn’t want to live with that decision. One of the things that kept me moving forward, not just on the bridge, but also through my own career transition was, “Do I really want to define myself by failure and by having done it?” Crossing that bridge, and my career change were defining moments. Take action to define your own career change. Schedule a free consult with HallieCrawford.com today