Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom How to Know When To Take a Risk

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom How to Know When To Take a Risk Starting a business usually involves significant personal, professional and financial risks.But while most business owners and entrepreneurs are hardly strangers to business risks, its often hard to know what constitutes a risk thats likely to succeed. Adam Mendler, CEO of technology venture companyThe Veloz Group,says that an acceptable risk is one thats well-justified and offers a higher expected value than alternatives. “Before takingsignificant business risks, its important to identify, research and evaluate all your optionsâ€"which may range from radical action to doing nothing, he says. According to Dan Spalter, co-founder of roommate matching serviceCircle for Roommatesgood business risks should be taken with the big picture intention of improving pre-determined KPIs. “Before taking any substantial risk, your team should try to find less risky means of achieving the same goal, he says. If a safer alternative does not exist, a business owner should brainstorm creative ways to reduce the potential loss. Both Mendler and Spalter have taken valuable business risks to drive their organizations forward, including the following: Going All In The biggest risk was taking the plunge, leaving a corporate career to start something from scratch, says Mendler. The entrepreneurial journey has been invaluable, though, as I have learned, grown and developed in ways unlike any others in my professional or educational careers. Competing With Established Companies Many owners are in the business of disruption. This means, however, that youre competing with organizations with multi-million dollar budgets, and the ability to take and implement your concept. It may seem like theres no way to win in this scenario, but by being agile andinnovativeâ€"and by taking calculated business risks that other companies wont touchâ€"you can be competitive. For the rest of this piece, check out the AMEX OPENForum.

How to Get A Job Before Its Posted - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Get A Job Before Its Posted - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s a story every job seeker has to tell. You find the perfect job opening. You apply. And then you wait. And wait. And wait. Just because an organization wants to hire doesn’t mean it’s in any rush to fill its open slots. But a new study by three economists underscores that the flip side is also true: firms frequently hire even without having a formal opening. To better understand how vacancies relate to actual hiring, Steven Davis of the University of Chicago, Jason Faberman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and John Haltiwanger of the University of Maryland dug into the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. This survey samples some 16,000 establishments each month, asking firms how many people they are looking to hire, what sort of advertising they’re doing to find workers, and more. Looking at data from 2000 through 2006, the researchers found that 42% of hires were happening at establishments that had said, just the month before, they had no vacancies. The take-away for job-seekers: companies often move fast to fill positions as they open. If there’s a place you want to work, find a way to introduce yourself before a job opening is even posted. Because once companies decide to hire, you might not have much time to sell yourself. And a short window of opportunity is actually the best case scenario. The survey asks companies about vacancies at the end of the month, and then tracks how many hires happen in the next 30 days. This means that the raw numbers don’t differentiate between a company quickly filling an opening, and a company hiring a person without ever officially logging a vacancy. Using some fancy economic modeling, the researchers found evidence that for a full 27% of hires, establishments never recorded a vacancy. What’s going on there? It’s possible to come up with different stories, but one is that establishments hire when they see someone they wantâ€"even more reason to try to get your foot in the door before the door is open. The researchers also took a look at how fast different sorts of firms fill open positions. Construction outfits were the fastest to fill openings. Retailers, leisure and hospitality firms, and transportation establishments were fairly speedy, too. At the other end were employers falling into the categories of government, health and education, and finance. These sorts of establishments took more than a month on average to fill an open position. That’s not to knock certain employers. As the researchers note, some industries are subject to laws and regulations requiring formal search processes, while others survive on constantly filling short-term positions. In fact, the notion that some outfits are constantly and quickly hiring meshes with another finding: the higher an establishment’s worker turnover rate, the more likely it is to fill positions quickly. That is to say, the firms that get back to you immediately about your application may also be the ones where employees are frequently leaving. Perhaps that’s something to keep in mind the next time you are waiting and waiting to hear back about a job application. Author: Barbara Kiviat is a veteran journalist, having spent seven years at Time magazine covering business and economics. Barbara has also written for Fortune, Money, The Miami Herald, The Arizona Republic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Reuters, and TheAtlantic.com, among other outlets. These days, Barbara is pursuing a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy at Harvard University, where her research focuses on understanding the social side of economic phenomena, including hiring.

Boost Creativity in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Boost Creativity in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Whether you have a job or a business, the daily grind can get tedious, sapping your energy and productivity.  Learning to tap into your creativity can insure that your ideas don’t get stale and old, and increase engagement in your work. Here are tips to boosting your creativity: 1. Clear away the clutter. I know that my desk often reflects the chaos in brain. Work spaces that are cluttered and disorganized increase stress and therefore reduce creativity. That doesn’t mean you need to have Martha Stewart’s organization, which for some can be equally as stifling. Instead you need an area that works for you, not against you. It should be organized around the way you work and have colors and other items that boost mood. 2. Doodle, draw, jot, write and record.  I think people are more creative than they think they are. The problem is that ideas don’t come at the times they can easily acknowledge and record them.  Have paper, white boards, journals, and other materials around you so you can sketch and write down your ideas. Record ideas on your smartphone if you’re driving when inspiration strikes. Write something every day to get into the habit of recoding your thoughts, ideas and feelings. 3. Save the filter for later.  One thing I’ve learned as a writer is to not edit while I’m writing. I just get the words out, no matter how wacky or poorly written they are. Later, I revise and cut. You should do the same with your ideas (the ones you’re doodling, jotting, etc in #2). For many reasons, your brain may want to sensor ideas, but resist it. Write down all your ideas, and later go back to assess their quality, tweak or dump them. 4. Take a walk. Moving your body is one of the best ways to boost energy and creativity, as well as improve your health. Walking is something nearly everyone at every fitness level can do, plus it can be done almost anywhere. If you can’t or don’t want to walk, do something you enjoy, such as yoga or a recreational sport. 5. Daydream or meditate. Quieting your brain is a great way to encourage the free flow of thoughts. Instead of controlling everything going on in your mind, look out the window or close your eyes and clear your mind. 6. Change your routine. Routine can be good, until it becomes a rut. If you’re feeling stuck or stifled in your work, change the order of how you do things, forcing your brain out of automatic-mode. Get up earlier and drink your coffee before showering. Take another route to work. Do your daily tasks in a different order.

I want to die

I want to die I typed that into the  search box tonight. Google must have someone making this page of results very valuable. Its the most clear-cut, useful results page Ive ever seen.   First of all, there is a phone number to call. I wouldnt call it. Of course Im ok: Im in a good marriage, I live in a great  house on a gorgeous farm, I have two bright  boys, and very supportive siblings. I am crying now. Im too overwhelmed. Before you jump right to the comments section trying to help me, let me tell you that Im traveling with the kids and Ive been in Aspen for five days without my anxiety medicine. I will have the medicine again in two days. I have friends I can always call. Melissa and Cassie will read this post and tell me I could have called them. But I wouldnt know what to say to them. I guess I could say, Help. I want to die. I know I could say that because they have called me to say that. Thats how  I know there are others of you, reading this, who have felt like I feel tonight. When I found something to read online, I was so grateful. Can you want to die  and also feel gratitude? I think it might be impossible. So maybe thats why the way Google organized the search results really works. I want to be a shining example for you but I cant cope. I want you to see that even though I had to live at my grandparents house because my parents hated me so much. Even though I did that, I am still a great parent. I want you to see that Im not ruined and Im not ruining another generation. I want you to see that even though I told you to never have two blogs, I can still do it. But I cant. I didnt write for two weeks. But I keep writing both blogs because I need the support system. And now maybe I dont even have that. I want to die because I feel like I cant do anything right. I am not sure what could possible make me not want to die except that I can help people. Im not sure what else there is. Which is crazy because Im doing this course this week about using personality type for making relationships work. Most of  these people are complaining about their spouses, (or, worse, they think they have perfect spouses and its so easy for me to  see  what theyll be complaining about in the future) and I have so little patience. I want everyone to see that their relationship is fine because they are with someone who is just being themselves, trying their best. Why do I think its fine for everyone else to try their best but its not enough for me? I read a letter in the Guardian from a guy who is angry at his wife because she wont work. I understand why the guy is so upsetits scary to have to keep earning money. Its scary to me how expensive music lessons are. And how much money we spend every week in science and math tutors.  I feel like a failure because I am not homeschooling like a free-and-easy, life-is-good parent. I am in overdrive. I realize now Im like all the other people in my course whose relationships are in trouble: doing the only thing I know how to do. Im an ENTJ and Im driven to meet goals and so I find the goals that drive my kids and then I dont take my eye off the ball, no matter what. Im just being me. But I am failing at it right now. I read a lot of forums tonight. So many depressed people are depressed because of their job. Its so common to read studies about how love matters more than work. And how you are not your career. And that money doesnt make a good life. But there is also research  about how we can recover mentally from a lost limb better than we can recover from long-term unemployment. Not having a job is very very very difficult. So many people on the forums wrote about that. I have a job. I am so grateful that I have a job. This is my job. To write a blog post. To make a community that matters. So I am doing that tonight.  And I have survived, to the end of this post, to tell you that when it comes to feeling like you want to die,  life changes so fast. If you can just get through those worst feelings, you will get to something better. I did. Right here.

Branding Manifesto Part 2 Define Your Personal Brand - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Branding Manifesto Part 2 â€" Define Your Personal Brand

A Fine Line Between Failure and Success - Kathy Caprino

A Fine Line Between Failure and Success When we’re facing what feel like insurmountable challenges in our work or life, it’s vitally important to go back to basics â€" to purify, shift what isn’t working, re-focus, and commit 3000% to what you care about achieving.   In running my own small business through extreme times of hardship and recession, and helping others get what they want in their careers, I’ve returned to basics myself, and reconnected with the three essential ingredients that lead to success. They’re powerful and they work.   Without these, you might find success but it’ll be a far bumpier ride with some agonizing detours. Here’s what’s needed to reinvent your life and career, and also to launch a new business endeavor successfully:   Intensive Focus Someone recently asked me, “What are you â€" a coach, author, writer, blogger, speaker, workshop leader…what?!” The question was meant to remind me of my need to focus intently on the area that I most want to grow â€" for me, that’s my one-on-one coaching practice. Sure, we can do several important things at once. However, spreading ourselves too thin too often creates a dilution effect in our strength, time, and ability to build what we care about most. Figure out what you want most, and focus intensively with passion and power on that for several months, and watch what happens.     Generating Something from Nothing In intensely challenging times like these, all around us we see despair, confusion and a lack of hope and energy. It’s contagious. We also see businesses drying up before our eyes. It’s scary indeed. But success comes from being your own source of positive energy, from finding a way to internally generate your own authentic enthusiasm, energy, and excitement about what you do, even when outside forces are pushing against you.   My young son came home last night and told me that his teacher asked the students this year to “be the change you want to see” (Gandhi’s beautiful request to the world). There’s such a keen nugget of truth in that for all of us â€" if we want success to come to us, we must first be success embody and live the principles of the success you long for and that will open the door to success. Energy attracts like energy.     Undying Commitment To be successful in life and work, it takes commitment that doesn’t wane. It takes believing that you can create movement in your life and business, even when the waters are still and the 3D world is giving you evidence that you’re not going to make it to your destination.   But that doesn’t mean we should continue blindly, crashing into the rocks without modifying our course. It means that you know when you need help, and you ask for it before it’s too late. Commit yourself without doubt, without reservation, but do what’s required and be flexible. Realize that you have vulnerabilities and gaps in knowledge and ability, and work to fill them. Believe in yourself, get the outside help you need as soon as you need it, and keep growing and learning.   The fine line between success and failure is simply this â€" find a way to be success precisely when outside success is eluding you.   Question of the week: What do you do in times of turmoil to generate internal energy, enthusiasm, and light, just when the lights around you have gone out? Wishing you many happy breakthroughs, Kathy

Find Out What Qualities to Look For in Professional Writing Resume Services Reviews

Find Out What Qualities to Look For in Professional Writing Resume Services ReviewsIt is necessary for you to get information on professional writing resume services before you employ one. This is so that you can assess their reliability, quality of work and their track record in terms of success. Some professional resume services do not have very good reviews.There are many websites that can give you information on the client testimonials so that you can evaluate whether they are worth your money or not. Reviews written by clients are very helpful to ensure that you hire only the best in the business.Professional writing resume services reviews will help you in your search for a great resume writer. You may not be able to assess how the writing service works on your own. Reviews can guide you as to what to look for in a particular writing service. Look for the following:Professionalism: You can judge a professional by the fact that he or she handles all your requirements in writing an effective resume. These should be at par with what a human being would expect. There should be no wasted space or any kind of artificial formatting.Contact Details: It is always wise to get in touch with the writing service that is going to be working on your resume. The kind of contact details that are posted on the website may be incorrect. You may have to ask for them to be updated.Review the client testimonials: These are written by customers. Check out their resumes. Use them to assess the services.Quality of work: Many of these service providers have quality writers. But their work quality depends largely on the time and the quality of the material they deliver. So it is advisable to find out more about the writer.Look for reviews for professional writing resume services on websites that focus on career in addition to work related matters. This way you can get quality information without too much trouble. Do not put off this vital step.