The On-Going Conversation

Preserve Your Online Reputation

Survey: 45% of employers questioned used social networks to vet candidates; 35% decided not to hire a candidate based on online data.

Read the full article via Mashable

The American Mind

I consider myself to be fortunate and cannot imagine being born anywhere else in the world. As an American, I realize that I take many elements of my life for granted. Among these are my personal freedom, education, public infrastructure, clean drinking water, the ability to find a satisfying career and the relatively safe communities that we have to choose from.

But we didn’t do anything to enable our success – we just happened to be born in a place that values liberty and the capacity to become anything that you want. At least it seems as though this particular mantra has been communicated to us since we were young.

This approach has a tendency to create a population that remains motivated and even helps maintain a degree of optimism. Obviously this frame of mind isn’t present throughout the world, especially in countries that are classified as underdeveloped. Within a country that is classified by this terminology, it can be challenging to cultivate happiness and a degree of optimism. Citizens don’t envision more fulfilling days, because they grow accustomed to the reality that they experience on a daily basis.

It can be hard to understand another perspective and way of life, especially if you haven’t experienced it for yourself. This seems to be the case for a majority of individuals that live in the United States. We cannot actually fathom the reality in opposing countries that are less fortunate than us. We can only imagine what it would be like, but will never have to face such dire circumstances. Even though we cannot fully understand what it would be like, that doesn’t excuse us from at least trying to permit growth and prospective success in such places.

As a result, I believe that more developed countries have an obligation to help enable success in underdeveloped nations. It could either be financially, democratically or even emotionally. Less fortunate countries and individuals want to feel as though they aren’t alone in the lingering chaos.

However it can be tough to decipher if assistance will truly benefit an underdeveloped country. If the support happens to be economic, it can be difficult to guarantee that the monetary help won’t be utilized in selfish ways, by manipulative individuals. Who knows, it may not even reach the individuals that truly need it.

They may not even have the ability to drink fresh water and shower on a daily basis. Many remain rural and don’t consist of public transportation and urban development, making citizens to some extent stationary. This limits their potential for job opportunities, unless they are employed within the place they directly live. With this in mind, more fortunate countries should even consider commencing businesses in such locations, which will hopefully help provide stability and opportunities for personal economic growth.

If they do incorporate business in such a place, they need to make sure to not take advantage of the situation. They must provide considerable wages that can benefit citizens, who happen to be on the low end of the socioeconomic spectrum. The work must also be safe and ethical, without potential for health issues and prospective concerns that may occur because of the work itself.

Organizations may also need to provide transportation to and from work. Not to mention, external assistance can even help create a safer environment within particular communities. People in ominous circumstances may potentially resort to crime, which generates unsafe neighbors in devastated areas. This can be another area for interaction by more fortunate countries, which may have resources to provide heightened security.

All in all, I cannot help but question if developed nations have an obligation to facilitate success in such countries. We have extensive resources and seemingly unlimited opportunities for citizens to flourish from. At times our resources even seem quite unnecessary, especially considering they have been ingrained in our lives since youth. Take the time to consider those that are less fortunate, who need assistance – assistance that we merely take care granted on a perpetual basis.

Re-Evaluate Your Business Mentality

Focus on what you can to set your business apart from the competition.

It is important for each department in a business to understand where they stand in regards to overall business goals. Without having a clear grasp of what their objectives are accomplishing, do their missions and goals truly serve a purpose?

Each department should be able to define their individual goals, which generally fall within the parameters of the overall business goals at each specific company. Obviously varying departments are going to have unique goals that other aspects of the organization don’t have and vice-versa.

However the difficulty can be to define these goals and make sure they are always being strived for. They may not always be achieved with day-to-day projects, but for the most part they should always be understood and transparent to all employees, which represent a collection of business entities throughout the world.

Listed below is an assortment of goals for particular businesses, regardless of their overall concentration. It also focuses on how they can ultimately achieve lasting results and implications with the customers they interact with.

1. Authenticated experience: In a sense, employees should believe that their company is striving to create a “prescription” for specific individuals who access their website, use their services or those that could potentially become customers in the near future. This will help maximize their overall experience and generate an environment that is easy to appreciate. It will also hopefully help align their innate perspective with that of the business and establish an ambiance of comfort. Not to mention, a degree of credibility and honesty that can transform the perception that individuals have.

2. Generate customer-loyalty: Employees are responsible for creating an environment where individuals ideally remain customers and convey their appreciation to their friends and family. This correlates to a quality customer experience that sustains a degree of loyalty and focuses on the nature of customer-centricity.

3. Market the businesses specific resources: You want to present the resources that you and your business have; not only the individuals who already work with your company, but also to those who may prospectively be interested conducting business down the line. Without documenting what your company has to offer, potential customers won’t even be aware of your particular services and may consider other companies from the commencement of your conversation.

4. Business adoption: Companies should allow the capability for people to go paperless and have access to their information with the click of a mouse. This also correlates to the placement of items on a website specifically, which creates an easy to use set of circumstances. This also helps with making items more convenient for prospective customers, especially considering the busy lives that we all seem to have at the moment. Just remember, we live in a digital world that requires instant gratification. A business should try and emulate this high-paced environment, if they want to sustain and continue a level of growth, especially in this technologically driven world.

5. Reach out into the community: Companies of all sizes, mentality and focus should be involved in the local community and promote information that is applicable to their own world. This will increase the likelihood of market awareness and hopefully lead to more individuals recognizing your business through association of ideas. This also involves the interaction with local entities, in an effort to make it easier for people to access your companies’ information. This can be accomplished by utilizing a proactive approach to personal market awareness and can even stimulate a level of intrigue.

All-in-all, companies need to determine what works the best for them. We all need to remember the capitalist system we are a part of. Ultimately the decision comes down to the individuals that live in the market place. Nonetheless, businesses need to do their best to market their products, services or approach, depending on whether or not a company is for profit, not-for-profit or non-profit.

10 Additional Tips for the Challenging Job Market

Isolation from the Competition

We all understand that you need to bring something unique to the table when looking for a career opportunity; otherwise you may fail to intrigue prospective employers and they may move on without you.

This means that the key is to fascinate them from the commencement of your conversation. You need to make sure to establish a quality first impression; this will help generate a positive way of classifying you as a candidate from the beginning of your discourse. This will also facilitate an optimistic and encouraging mentality in their minds, which should carry over to the actual interview.

Listed below are ideas and potential avenues to achieve a quality conversation from the start.

1. Be accommodating when scheduling the interview. Try to work within the confines of times that they suggest will work. Sometimes this doesn’t always happen, but at least try to make this a reality. This will document that you understand they have extremely busy schedules and in a sense, that their time is more valuable than you own. Hopefully this leads them to think you are a team player and utilitarian from the start.
2. Go out of your way to ask how they and the entire business are doing. This will create a cordial and hospitable relationship, prior to actually meeting in person for the interview. This will also suggest that you are more concerned about the overall mission of the business, than the potential position you may have with the company.
3. If you cannot answer their call immediately, make sure to call them back momentarily. Sometimes you are unable to answer phone calls at the time of the call itself, which is completely understandable. However, when dealing with prospective employers and opportunities, you want to make sure to communicate with them as soon as possible. This will demonstrate that you are truly interested in working for the company and have a desire to find employment. It also documents a degree of organization, confidence and credibility by returning their call immediately.
4. Verify that the interview is still convenient for the scheduled date and time. This will illustrate your flexible personality and willingness to compromise. It will also exemplify your professional demeanor and ability to remain accommodating, if you are eventually asked to join the team.
5. Ask for meticulous details about the interview and location, so that you convey intelligence. This will help ensure that you arrive on time and are prepared for the interview. It will also showcase your attention to detail and ability to work within a high paced environment.
6. Show up early for the interview and dress professionally. This will help indicate how you will behave if you are eventually hired. It will also allow the potential employer to see the value you can bring to the organization and your willingness to come prepared.
7. Practice sample interview questions and be prepared for anything they may ask you to do.
8. Bring supporting materials such as your portfolio, references and additional resumes, even if they don’t request them.
9. After the interview – let them know that you appreciated their time and ask if they need anything additional on your behalf.
10. Continue applying for opposing opportunities and don’t assume anything with previous engagements.

We all know how difficult the job market can be, but don’t get discouraged. Remain optimistic and continue striving for a position that will align with your personal perspective. Best of luck and never give up; that ideal job is hopefully right around the corner.

Image Credits: 4 Ways to Speed Up Your Job Search -- Liz Lynch