We are simplifying JibberJobber now, you simplify your job search

We are simplifying JibberJobber… now, you simplify your job search Years ago I hired a UX contractor named Udi a super cool guy who taught me a lot about UX. UX is user experience, and refers to what you see on a page, with the goal of helping you do what you need to do. Were not talking as much about graphics, colors, or graphical design as we are talking about how we simplify the user experience so that you can do what you want to do without being distracted or overwhelmed. An example: on the homepage, the signup form had too many form fields to fill out. Udi said that we want to reduce the number of choices a user has to make and every field was a choice. Interesting, isnt it? Another thing Udi told me was Ill be taking out more than Ill be putting in. Because JibberJobber was about eight years old back then, and we didnt design with UX at a central focus (our focus was functionality). There was a bunch of clutter (there still is too much clutter :p). Sometimes removing things is good. So, weve been on a journey to clean, and simplify. As I think about this, I cant help but thinking about how this applies to my users. As job seekers, we sometimes have things we need to remove. Have you ever heard a thirty second pitch that has so much unnecessary information that it doesnt do anything good for the job seeker? REMOVE the stuff that isnt important! Please, go through your thirty second pitch and figure out what is important and what is a distraction! Furthermore, what are you doing in your systems and processes that are not getting the hoped-for results? Are you doing things that are wasting your time? Are you doing things that are not productive? Are there things in your process that you should simplify?   Apply some UX concepts to your job search and focus on the most important results you want, and then work backwards from that. I hope that the changes we roll out are not too noticeable. My hope is that people just say JibberJobber is easy to use and I know what Im doing. If they say wow, this is a lot cleaner than it has been then well know how far off the mark weve been :p Many of the changes are subtle, but that subtleness reduces what I call mental friction. The goal, as Udi says, is to reduce choices. At first that rubbed be wrong, but really, using JibberJobber should be easy and intuitive (even if what we accomplish on the back end is not easy). Your goal, as a job seeker, should be communicating the right messages to the right people and getting closer and closer to your next job. Now, what can you simplify? We are simplifying JibberJobber… now, you simplify your job search Years ago I hired a UX contractor named Udi a super cool guy who taught me a lot about UX. UX is user experience, and refers to what you see on a page, with the goal of helping you do what you need to do. Were not talking as much about graphics, colors, or graphical design as we are talking about how we simplify the user experience so that you can do what you want to do without being distracted or overwhelmed. An example: on the homepage, the signup form had too many form fields to fill out. Udi said that we want to reduce the number of choices a user has to make and every field was a choice. Interesting, isnt it? Another thing Udi told me was Ill be taking out more than Ill be putting in. Because JibberJobber was about eight years old back then, and we didnt design with UX at a central focus (our focus was functionality). There was a bunch of clutter (there still is too much clutter :p). Sometimes removing things is good. So, weve been on a journey to clean, and simplify. As I think about this, I cant help but thinking about how this applies to my users. As job seekers, we sometimes have things we need to remove. Have you ever heard a thirty second pitch that has so much unnecessary information that it doesnt do anything good for the job seeker? REMOVE the stuff that isnt important! Please, go through your thirty second pitch and figure out what is important and what is a distraction! Furthermore, what are you doing in your systems and processes that are not getting the hoped-for results? Are you doing things that are wasting your time? Are you doing things that are not productive? Are there things in your process that you should simplify?   Apply some UX concepts to your job search and focus on the most important results you want, and then work backwards from that. I hope that the changes we roll out are not too noticeable. My hope is that people just say JibberJobber is easy to use and I know what Im doing. If they say wow, this is a lot cleaner than it has been then well know how far off the mark weve been :p Many of the changes are subtle, but that subtleness reduces what I call mental friction. The goal, as Udi says, is to reduce choices. At first that rubbed be wrong, but really, using JibberJobber should be easy and intuitive (even if what we accomplish on the back end is not easy). Your goal, as a job seeker, should be communicating the right messages to the right people and getting closer and closer to your next job. Now, what can you simplify?

Are Curveball Interview Questions Really Beneficial

Are Curveball Interview Questions Really Beneficial How lucky are you, and why? If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why? How many square feet of pizza is eaten in the US each year? The famed ‘curveball question’ was once the sole preserve of mega-corporations like Apple. However, their popularity as a recruitment tool has grown, and interviewers around the world now routinely pose bizarre questions to candidates. When hiring in a fast-paced industry, assessing your interviewee’s ability to think on their feet is essential. However, when hiring for other roles, curveball questions could unnecessarily panic your candidate. Should you be asking these questions when interviewing? What can a curveball question tell you? There are several different types of curveball question. Each category can give you a different insight into the candidate: 1) Whimsical and Nonsensical: ‘If you were a chocolate bar, what would you be and why?’ ‘Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?’ Why are they useful? Whimsical and nonsensical questions are designed to test a candidate’s creativity. They can also be used to assess the interviewee’s ability to rise to a challenge. If they manage to give a comprehensive answer, they are probably flexible and open worker. However, if they struggle to respond, they could be more analytical in nature. 2)  Introspective: ‘What’s your biggest regret?’ ‘What makes you truly happy?’ Why are they useful? Introspective questions are an unusual extension of the traditional ‘tell me about a time when…’ model.  They are highly intrusive, making them an unusual choice for a job interview. They catch the applicant completely unawares, forcing them to provide a deep insight into their personality. However, this tactic sometimes fails, as candidates may try to mould their answer into a standard interview response. 3) Analytical: ‘How many tennis balls could you fit into this room?’ ‘How many umbrellas were sold in the UK last year?’ Why are they useful? If you are hiring for an analytical role, this style of curveball question can be particularly useful. When answering, the candidate will demonstrate their ability or inability to apply logic to a complicated problem. However, this type of question can also prove useful in other industries, as the interviewee must find a creative solution to the problem. 4) Business-focussed: ‘What are the biggest challenges facing our industry?’ ‘How could we do better?’ Why are they useful? By asking a specific question about your business, you can test whether the candidate has researched the role. If they can give a comprehensive answer, they have probably researched the company thoroughly and therefore really want the job. If they can’t give you an answer, you should be wary about making an offer. The  cons of curveball questions: Job interviews are an unnatural environment, and many people find them stressful. Nerves are common amongst candidates, and it normally takes a few starter questions to get them to relax. However, if you have a particularly nervous candidate, throwing them a curveball question out of the blue could unsettle them, derailing the entire interview. Analysing the responses to an unusual question can prove difficult. Amateur psychology is rarely accurate, and you could be left with more questions than answers. If you really want to learn about your candidate’s capabilities, perform a thorough reference check. Candidates are wary of saying the wrong thing in job interviews. As a result, many believe curveball questions are an attempt to trip them up. Interviewees will often shy away from answering these questions, and will instead try to twist their response to fit a standard format. Assessing the suitability: Curveball questions can occasionally backfire on the interviewer. However, in the most extreme cases, they can lead to a full blown PR disaster. In 2013, electronics retailer Currys faced widespread criticism after a disgruntled candidate lifted the lid on their hiring process. During an interview, applicants for a sales position were forced to dance in front of the other candidates. The move was widely condemned, and the store eventually issued a public apology. You should only ask curveball questions if they are relevant to the role you are hiring for. For example, ‘How many tennis balls could you fit into this room?’ is a good question to ask a prospective accountant. However, if you were hiring a customer service assistant, you would be better off staging a communication-based task. Curveball questions are now relatively commonplace, and can be used effectively to augment the interview process. However, don’t place too much importance on the responses. Assessing a candidate’s relevant qualifications and experience should always take precedence over their ability to answer a bizarre question. Author:  This article was written by Mark Potter of Namecheap.com, a leading ICANN accredited domain registrar and web host.

Americas Dream Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

America’s Dream Job - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career According to a recent survey made by MidAmerica Nazarene University with 2,000 Americans, only 25% of Americans currently work in their dream jobs. These 25% of Americans have either high salaries, born during the baby boomer generation, have PhD degrees or live in the Southwest area. However, what about the rest of the Americans? What do they want from their jobs? Almost half of the Americans want to own businesses. 41% of survey respondents said that they want to have their own businesses but they are not willing to work more than 60 hours in their businesses. Out of these survey participants, 12% of them said they want C-suite titles, 23% said they want a mid-level management role, and 18% said they dream of having an associate position within a company. Also, they prefer to work in California but drive less than 2 miles to work and work only between 9am and 5pm with no overtime commitments in a small company with less than 30 employees. Well although these are ideal conditions, they are very difficult to become reality especially thinking about the conditions in California. They also add that they can travel twice a month and want to work in the entertainment industry. Americans would like to have 1-hour lunch breaks, want to have professional relationships with their coworkers, 52 vacation days a year and want to work 38 hours per week. Currently, most Americans work more than 45 hours a week and have 15 days of vacation. They also want to have the option of working remotely at least 11 days a month. Most of them currently get less than 6 days to work remotely. For the salary, men say they want a yearly gross salary of $444,958 compared to women who want a salary of $278,637, which is a vast difference of $166,321. Company perks are also important for Americans. Their dream jobs offer 401(k) matching, help with student loans, a gym membership, office snacks, and the ability to work remotely. The most important perks to women are similar but they also include having a flexible schedule and unlimited vacation time. Finally, most Americans are not working in their dream industries. Those who are working in administration, finance, hospitality and food, industrial, infrastructure, insurance, marketing and advertising, professional services, real estate, retail, and those who are unemployed dream of working in the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, some of the respondents are very happy to work in their industries but not satisfied with their current jobs. These are working in the accounting, broadcast and journalism, construction, education, engineering, entertainment, government, healthcare, HR, IT, legal, non-profit and social work, science, and skilled labor and trade industries. You can access the full survey results via this link.

Why Self Belief is Essential for Career Success

Why Self Belief is Essential for Career Success Not too long ago I gave a speech to children who recently received their GSCE’s and A Level results, there were also a few adults in the audience ready to be motivated. When I was younger I never used to ask or answer any questions when I was confused or did not understand something. I did not speak up. Being a very quiet and shy person was my biggest weakness. Have confidence in yourself I used to go unnoticed by teachers, football coaches and anyone else who could potentially help me in my career path. A much more confident person now of course, that I give motivational speeches to people of various ages. I always attempt to engage and involve the audience and not necessarily pick on those who I feel to be more of an introvert, but I like to get everyone speaking and listening to not just myself, as I believe everyone has a unique story and something to share. This talk was a little different and one I will surely remember. Above that everyone has a talent and should be proud of that talent and let the world know about their talent. I asked the audience ‘Who has a talent?’ I waited for 30 seconds trying to make eye contact with everyone. No one responded I saw a few grins and lips move but it seemed as if none of them believed or were sure if what they were good at could be considered as a talent. I believe everyone has a talent and you should believe you are the best at what you do and the way you do it is unique in comparison to anyone else. Be proud of  your talents I went around the room and asked everyone individually what you are good at. Answers varied from fixing cars, sound engineers, football, basketball, dancing, sewing (this came from an older member in the audience) and story writing. Several things I can’t even do myself. I told them if you do not believe you are the best at what you do or at least who you are competing against at that particular time you will never achieve your goals in life.  You have to wake up and tell yourself you are the best. When you are on that football pitch or basketball court, you need to tell yourself you are better than everyone on the opposite team. But here is the twist. Do not try and be the next Ronaldo, Henry or Messi, Dwayne Wade or Lebron James. Or if you are in the music industry do not try and be the next Kanye West or Beyoncé. Or fashion, don’t try and be the next Alexandre McQueen. Try  and be the best version of YOU that YOU can be. Dont feel discouraged by rejection The majority of the young people I spoke to that day have probably never suffered from rejection, and need to be prepared by mentors or speakers like myself, they need enough self confidence to deal with it when it does happen. I was confident enough to keep going with my job hunt in expectation that the right role for me would come along. Knock backs, set backs will happen continuously in life how you deal with them is defiantly what will make you. After the talk I was asked how young people could possibly convince employers to take a risk and hire them. I said they were also young and looking for a job once too, they can sympathise, but you need to show them it is a risk worth taking. If you are to have a look at top interview tips no doubt you will see, ‘Be yourself’. As I said do not try and be the next Beyoncé or Messi, be YOU! Be confident in yourself and your talent, your passion for whatever industry you want to be a part of and leave your mark on it. You need to be able to demonstrate your willingness to progress and learn. Safe is Risky. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

How To Balance Multiple Jobs (Without Losing Your Mind) CareerMetis.com

How To Balance Multiple Jobs (Without Losing Your Mind) â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit- Pexels.comFor a lot of people, when it’s times to punch out it’s time to get back to your personal life. Catch happy hour, hit the gym, go home and get your laundry done. However, for those of us working multiple jobs, the end of your day job just mean it’s time to start the night one.And while having multiple jobs is actually fairly common, it can be pretty hard to balance the early mornings and late nights while keeping track of all your other responsibilities. In fact, things can become such a whirlwind that you can start to feel like you don’t have control of much of anything.But have no fear, you don’t have to lose your mind while picking up multiple paychecks.evalHere are some tips to help you keep your life and your sanity together.1. Schedule the Week OutevalUnexpected stuff pops up all the time during a work week, and even though a Thursday night could seem free and clear to tend to your personal or social life, you could suddenly get a text from one of your bosses or a client about some extra work they need to be done.So before your work week starts, take some time to get an overview of what your week is going to be like and then make any adjustments you need to keep everything flowing smoothly.Getting a bird’s-eye view of how a week is going to play out workwise helps you know what to do if anything out of the ordinary pops up. For instance, if on Monday you get invited to a Friday night hockey game, you’ll know from your schedule whether or not you should have that time free â€" this saves the awkwardness of saying you can go and then having to cancel when you realize you should have known you were going to have work.Likewise, though, scheduling your week out will allow you to feel organized and in control, which in turn helps you stay relaxed and work more effectively â€" leading to getting what you need to do quicker and giving you more free time.2. Learn Efficient Ways To Maintain A Balanced LifeWhen work dominates you r life, exercise can become a thing of the past.But staying physically active is vital to maintaining both a healthy physical and mental state, and if you neglect those things, it’s only going to be that much tougher to function effectively.evalAnd don’t worry, you don’t have to fit in an intense two hour workout every day to derive the benefits you’re looking for. Just taking a nice power walk or doing some quick sets of body weight exercises will help keep you physically fit while making you feel good from the endorphins being released.3. Give Yourself Some SpaceA beneficial thing to do when you’re working multiple jobs is take one full day off per week. Unfortunately, the reality of your schedule might not let you do that.But that doesn’t mean you can’t find any time for yourself. Even if you can’t block out a full day, finding a few hours to designate as a fun time to get the lead out can do wonders to alleviate the daily grind.Even if it’s just going for a lon g daily walk, finding some space and time to let your mind cool down will go long ways to keeping your mental state together.4. Leave Your Work At WorkevalBouncing back and forth between multiple jobs can start to feel like being on a super-fast merry-go-round you can’t get off of. In one job you’re swamped with writing business reports and flowchart analysis while in the other you’re trying to meet your monthly sales quota.And while it’s super helpful to check out some writing service reviews to help you get your work done, the truth is that the most stressful thing about working multiple jobs is how tough it can be to leave your work thoughts at work so you can relax during your time off.One effective thing you can do though is creating to-do lists that focus on the things you need to get done while you’re at work. As you complete each task, cross it off the list. This will keep your mind organized and your thoughts from randomly swimming all over the place about what yo u have to still do and don’t do.The key thing then is that once you leave work, be mindful of your thoughts and place your highest values on relaxing, having fun, or taking care of whatever personal stuff you need to. This tells your subconscious that it’s time to refocus priorities which help stop it from nagging you about your work responsibilities.In addition to this, if you have a working cell phone or a work email account where you can get messages any time of the day, get them out of your sight for at least a few hours at a time. Don’t ignore people from work contacting you, but giving yourself some time where you don’t deal with your jobs at all will be good for everyone involved.eval5. Keep the Big Picture in MindAlthough anything’s possible, odds are that you haven’t taken on multiple jobs because it’s your idea of a good time. More likely you have an end-goal that the extra jobWhile working multiple jobs can come with its share of stresses, it by no means has to be an awful experience. Your mind can be your greatest asset to help you through the challenge or it can become your worst enemy.The good news is that if you’re having a tough time coping it’s relatively easy to alter your perspective for the better.By following the tips I’ve laid out above, you’ll not only keep from losing your mind while working multiple jobs, but you’ll enhance your overall mental strength, develop your organizational skills and life a happier, more successful life.

Top 5 Job Search Blunders - CareerAlley

Top 5 Job Search Blunders - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. For every item you need to get right for your job search, there are probably 100 things you dont want to get wrong. The top 5 mistakes most job seeker make are listed below. Following are a few tips on things to avoid. 1. You Dont Have a Brand: Overkill Your brand is critical to your job search, but it should not be your entire focus. Be careful not to go overboard by creating an exhaustive four or five-page resume that highlights every everything youve ever done in your career. You Dont Have a Purpose You seem to be all things to all people and have not defined a purpose. If you are not focused on who you are and what you want you dont really have a marketable brand. 2. Too ManyJob Search Boards: Limit the Number of Sites You Use: If you use more than 2 or 3 job search sites you should consider cutting down. Depending on the sites you use, most of the major sites have similar (if not the same) job opportunities.You should use: One major site such as SimplyHired or Indeed.com LinkedIn (see5 Tips for Creating a Professional LinkedIn Profile) One site which focuses on your career type (seeIndustries Professions Career Sites) Focus on the Most Recent Opportunities: Most job opportunities are posted and filled within a few days. Set your search criteria to jobs posted within the last 7 days. 3. You Dont Manage Your Time: As you are no doubt aware, job search can bevery time consuming. Its so easy to go off on a tangent and not accomplish much in terms of your job search. Try the following: Create a job search plan (see Job Search Planning). Use the one a day method which is submit at least one job application a day through one of the sites mentioned in item #2 above. Balance your time by alternating your job search resource (company career sites, job search boards, recruiters and your network). 4. More is not always Better: While I strongly believe that the more people who know you are looking for a job, the better your chances for finding a job, I dont believe that you should use any of the services that blast or mass deliver your resume to hundreds or thousands of potential employers. This method is likely to result in your resume looking like spam.Targeted search (applying for specific opportunities) is still the best method. This allows you to personalize your application (by using a specific cover letter) and control the distribution of your resume (what would happen if you current boss was on the mass mailing list?). 5. Your Resume has Errors (or Worse): Your resume is your first point of contact with hiring managers and recruiters. If you want to get a chance to interview and ultimately the job, you will need to ensure that your resume is perfect. With all of the competition in todays job market, anything less that perfection is likely to get your resume tossed. Spell check dont always work as planned and grammar checkers even less so. If your resume has basic typographical errors it is highly unlikely that you will get an interview. Even if youve checked your resume several times, there is still a chance that you have some errors or have maybe phrased something that could be hard to understand. The best method for proofreading your resume is to have a friend or relative check it for errors. Career Tip of the Day:7 Plus Things You Dont Want on Your Resume Suggested Reading:No Mistakes Interviews: How To Get The Job You Want (No Mistakes Careers Book 2) We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Client Case Study Monique Cucchi - When I Grow Up

Client Case Study Monique Cucchi - When I Grow Up Um, do you know that Ive coached hundreds of women since I started offering dream career guidance in 2008? And that these women are freakin rock stars, leaving soul-sucking jobs and traveling the world and launching creative, grown-up businesses and simply doing work that fits their lifestyle goals? Well ya do now and youll hear their stories firsthand in my  Client Case Studies series! Theres another artist in the house, and today its Monique Cucchi! She signed up for  Discover Your Dream Business  exactly a year ago, and now I head to her  Crooked Beautiful  Etsy shop and beam. Its such a true reflection of who she is and what she loves, and her work is so unique and special. Read on to see how she brought it to life and whats on the horizon for her and click on over to her store for that Halloween feeling I know youre ready for! Why did you decide to work with me? Id toyed with the idea of striking out on my own as a creative business owner a few times but I had always concluded that it was too difficult, improbable, and/or chaotic. Then I came across your interview on my favorite podcast, Real Talk Radio! What stuck out to me the most about your conversation with Nicole (podcast host) was how practically and systematically you approach business building. It assured me that a clear path does exist and that someone had already figured it out! Your confidence in the process coupled with your energy and enthusiasm encouraged me to give it a go. You are excellent at empowering folks to get out of their own way and take a step forward. About 5 months later, I joined the Discover Your Dream Business program and the rest is history! What were you doing work-wise when we started working together and what are you doing now? I was, and still am, the Creative Director of a financial technology company. My favorite thing about your work is how comfortable and reasonable you make the process feel for real people living real lives. I did not have to cinematically storm out of my day job surrounded by flames and explosions. Im still here earning a salary and paying bills. However, thanks to our time together, I have also been taking very calculated steps toward transitioning from this work to the next! What was your biggest takeaway from our work together? Learning to identify and avoid the evil p-wordsâ€"passion and perfectionâ€"when they interfere with my forward progress. In a world that often/usually/pretty-much-always celebrates these two words, its very difficult to understand how problematic they can be. When it comes to lots of things (not just my business), passion and perfection prevent me from starting projects or trying anything that has the potential to fail, If this isnt going to be THE THING, why should I even do it at all? This can be so incredibly limiting and you do a great job of spotting it when it happens and providing coping mechanisms to get me to push through. Think of someone who is currently in the shoes you wore when we first started working together. What advice do you have for her? You do not have to burn your life to the ground in order to do this. Follow your curiosity and see where it takes you. Is there anything thats been a game-changer for you when it comes to your business that you can share? Wed love a good resource or a mindset/productivity tip! Finished is better than perfect. Literally every time. Whats on the horizon for your business? Wed love to hear about any upcoming offerings or goals!   Now that my Etsy shop is up and running, Id like to spend some time figuring out how to optimize that channel. There is a lot to learn about how their search engine and marketing tools work. Id like to eventually expand my inventory beyond illustration into things like jewelry and textile design. Most importantly, however, I think it will be crucial for me to carve out time to simply play in the next few months. I want to make sure that I am enjoying this work if I intend to do it full time and there are so many things to explore! Where can we find you and your work? Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/crookedandbeautiful, Instagram @crookedandbeautiful Doors to  Discover Your Dream Business  close this Friday for all of 2019! You dont want to wait until next year to take *tangible* action steps to be the entrepreneur youre dreaming of, do you?  I didnt think so.