So, we all know of corporate brands. We see their logos in commercials, on billboards and even on clothing, like t-shirts. However, we are less familiar with personal social brands. Your social brand is your identity online and in social media. Most of us have some social media imprint, but haven’t consciously considered our individual social brand. This social brand is always important, but never more than when you are looking for a new job.
Why Build a Social Brand?
How to Begin Establishing Your Social Brand
Computer systems analysts must have a diverse skill set. The position requires information technology and business knowledge. These analysts custom design computer systems and processes for clients.
Median Salary-$82,710
Software developers need to be innovative, creative and, of course, technical in order to succeed in this field. They might write new code or fix bugs in code to make it work better.
Median Salary-$95,510
Web developers create everything you see on your favorite websites, from the special effects to the search functionality.
Median Salary-$63,490
The digital workplace demands more IT managers, who coordinate computer-related activities for an organization. IT Mangers’ tasks include analyzing and recommending computer needs, installing and maintaining computer hardware and software, securing an office’s network and electronic documents and searching for new technologies and upgrade opportunities.
Median Salary-$127,640
As concern about cybersecurity and privacy grows, so does the demand for information security analysts. These professionals are responsibilities include preparing and implementing security measures that protect a company’s computer networks and systems.
Median Salary-$88,890
**Source of data—US News and World Report Job Rankings
Searching for a job is never easy, but searching during the holiday season can be challenging and discouraging. Here are 5 tips for your holiday search:
Companies Do Hire in December—Don’t believe people who say that no one hires in December. While it’s true that some searches slow down or get put on hold, plenty of hiring still happens around the holidays. December is still a great time to get your resume out to companies and have interviews. Often, manager are scrambling to hire for open positions before January 1st, so the decision making process can be faster.
There is Less Competition— Most job seekers get discouraged during the holiday season or choose to wait until the New Year. So, often your resume will get noticed faster during the holiday. In fact, some hiring managers report that job applications slow to a trickle around this time of year and they have trouble finding suitable candidates for jobs that must be filled quickly.3.
Remember to Be Flexible—Often companies that are trying to make a hire before the new year are often trying to move quickly but may have limited interviewing slots available because of the vacation schedules of those involved in the interview process You’ll have a leg up if you’re willing to juggle your schedule to make yourself available when they can talk. So, remember to be flexible and it will pay off.
Be Prepared for the Holiday Rejection—Realize that some rejection might come along with the mistletoe this year. If you are searching for a job in December, you could get a rejection near Christmas. Don’t let the possible rejection interfere with your holidays.
Take Advantage of Holiday Networking—We all go to holiday parties and events during this time of year. Most likely, you will be asked about your job search. So be prepared to make the most of these events and the opportunity to network. Networking at any time is a great way to learn about new positions and job opportunities.
Body language reveals a lot about a person. Your body language at work….how professional interact conveys a lot to your peers and manager.
So what does your body language say about you?
Body Language #1: Leaning back in your chair
What It Says About You: It says you are leaving forward into a problem. Don’t lean backwards because it shows that you’re alienating.
Body Language #2: Crossing your arms in a meeting
What It Says About You: Crossing your arms shows you are cut off from receiving ideas…you are defensive. If your body position is open, you are open to receiving new ideas and what people are saying.]
Body Language #3: Gesturing with your hands
What It Says About You: Gesturing with open palms shows you are honest and sensitive.
Body Language #4: Tapping your pen on the table
What It Says About You: This shows you are impatient or in discomfort
Body Language #5: Licking your lips
What It Says About You: Chewing on your lips or licking your lips shows you are nervous and /or bored
Body Language #6: Stretching or yawning.
What It Says About You: Stretching or rubbing you head in meetings signals that you’re bored.
Having a group of friends at work definitely makes life easier. When you have friends at work, you have people to talk to when you need a break and have people to make lunch plans when you want them. Often, work just feels more fun when you know you have some friends by your side, especially if you have a high-stress job.
If this sounds intriguing but you’re not totally sure how to foster work friendships and a team mentality, here are some tips to get you started.
A resume is the most important step in getting a job. The smallest error can cost you the interview and your dream job. Your resume paints a picture of your experience, successes and career. Most hiring managers weigh an applicant’s resume heavily when filling a position. Every piece of information in the resume should be clear, accurate and well-thought-out.
Below are 4 common resume mistakes job seekers should avoid:
Typos and grammatical errors are costly errors because such mistakes can easily destroy your credibility. This can be easily avoided by proofreading your resume. Give it to a friend or family member for a fresh set of eyes. It’s not worth missing out on a job opportunity because of an avoidable spelling mistake.
A common mistake in many resumes where many job applicants spend most of the space highlighting the job responsibilities instead of focusing on their accomplishments. Prospective employers want to see specific, quantifiable accomplishments on your resume. These accomplishment speak to your ability and what you can bring to their team and company.
Exhibiting your specific skillsets are important, especially when you are seeking a technical or IT job, but too much jargon or too much “tech talk” in your resume can often prevent the company from identifying your accomplishment and viewing your experience.
It is important to highlight your experience and accomplishments, but if your resume is too long the hiring manager may not finish reading it….a miss important details that relate to their opportunity. A good rule of thumb is to give enough details about your previous positions, while emphasizing your accomplishment, but leave some more detail you can expand on in an interview. This will help you peak the hiring managers interest in you and help you empress them during the interview.
You have been searching for the right job and now you have the all-important in person interview scheduled. In any interview there are things that can get you the job and things that will guarantee you don’t get the job.
Here you 5 things that will cost you that job every time:
These days more and more companies are casual or business casual, so dressing for an interview can be tricky. You should ask your recruiter or HR contract to ensure you are dressed properly. However, if you don’t know, make sure you dress more conservatively. A dark suit and tie are always a good choice.
We all do it…we are eager to impressed and don’t listen to the interviewer. The best interviews are conversations. To have a great conversation, you need to listen to the other person.
It is important to back up your experience with examples from your career. Examples that include quantifiable or measurable results are the best. These examples allow the interviewer to imagine your impact in their company.
We have all had bad experiences at work, but sharing that experience can show make your prospective company think you are a complainer. Instead, limit your explanations and remain positive. People want to hire positive employees.
The most common mistake most people make during an interview is they don’t ask for the job. At the end of the interview, be sure to tell the person interviewing you, how interested you are in the opportunity and that you would be eager to join the company. This shows your interest level and tells the company you want this position.
One of the e best things about the holiday season is taking time off. The only problem…everyone wants to take the same days off.
If your company doesn’t give the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, these are prime time vacation days that everyone wants to take off. If you’re making specific plans during this busy vacation season, it’s hard to know exactly when you should bring it up with your boss.
When To Ask
Planning ahead on time off requests is always the best. When the time off concerns the holiday season, managers are always burden with ensuring the work is covered. So, the sooner you let you manager know your holiday plans, the more likely that your request will be approved.
Too Early vs. Too Late
You may wonder if it’s ever possible to ask for vacation too far in advance. For example, if you ask for holiday vacation in December over the summer, will it come off like you’re trying to “get ahead” of other people’s requests? This depends on how your company schedules holiday and if they can identify the business needs so far in advance. If you believe the request is too early, a good idea is to let you manager know your intentions. Telling him/her that you want a certain day off for vacation, if it is possible. This will help you “hold your place” in the line of requests/
What To Do If You Wait Too Long
It’s November, is it too late to ask? At this point, you need to just go ahead and ask your manager. If you can provide a solution for your manager, they’re more likely to agree to give you the time you want. If you aren’t able to find someone to cover for you. Finding a plan that is workable for you and your manager will help you solidify your holiday plans.
One of the e best things about the holiday season is taking time off. The only problem…everyone wants to take the same days off.
If your company doesn’t give the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, these are prime time vacation days that everyone wants to take off. If you’re making specific plans during this busy vacation season, it’s hard to know exactly when you should bring it up with your boss.
When To Ask
Planning ahead on time off requests is always the best. When the time off concerns the holiday season, managers are always burden with ensuring the work is covered. So, the sooner you let you manager know your holiday plans, the more likely that your request will be approved.
Too Early vs. Too Late
You may wonder if it’s ever possible to ask for vacation too far in advance. For example, if you ask for holiday vacation in December over the summer, will it come off like you’re trying to “get ahead” of other people’s requests? This depends on how your company schedules holiday and if they can identify the business needs so far in advance. If you believe the request is too early, a good idea is to let you manager know your intentions. Telling him/her that you want a certain day off for vacation, if it is possible. This will help you “hold your place” in the line of requests/
What To Do If You Wait Too Long
It’s November, is it too late to ask? At this point, you need to just go ahead and ask your manager. If you can provide a solution for your manager, they’re more likely to agree to give you the time you want. If you aren’t able to find someone to cover for you. Finding a plan that is workable for you and your manager will help you solidify your holiday plans.
As we get closer to the holiday season, more employees are looking for raises. It’s always good news when you receive an increase in your pay, but the range of possibilities for increases is vast.
Some companies offer an annual raise that is usually a cost of living increase. This boost in pay is applied across the board to bump up all employees’ salaries, allowing paychecks to keep pace with inflation.
Other companies offer bonuses or merit-based raises that are applied using a metric to evaluate and reward each employee’s professional contribution. Offering merit-bases raises or other variable pay such as bonuses tends to be favored over applying an annual one-size-fits-all COLA.
Cost of Living Increase
Government jobs, as well as some non-profit sector position, adhere to the cost of living salary increase model. While a pay raise is always welcome, it can be a bit of a blow to morale when everyone earns the same pay raise, regardless of each person’s job performance. In some cases, a merit raise can be applied on top of the COLA. This way, the raise functions both as a means to ensure that all employees get a needed boost to keep up with cost of living , while extraordinary employees earn their proper recognition for their performance.
Merit-based raises
Variable pay includes merit-based raises and bonuses. These are usually calculated by applying a formula to access employees’ performance and then divvying up the available funds according to which employees earned the highest marks.
Rather than applying their resources to an annual cost of living increase that is uniformly administered, employers are increasingly likely to favor merit-based increases and other incentives that recognize excellence and make employees happier in their day-to-day work lives.
No matter what type of pay increase, most employees are happy for the extra money. Understanding the types of raises and increase can help you better understand the impact to your pocket.
There is an old saying…”life is always a negotiation”. However, when it comes to negotiating the best salary possible that negotiation can become tricky. Most job seekers choose to negotiate the salary, often forgetting about the benefits and perks that come with the job opportunity. The most successful compensation negotiations strike a find balance.
When you are looking to negotiate your compensation with your prospective company, these three tactics will help you succeed.
Get to know what the position entails and whether it’s a good match for you before delving into compensation. Ask lots of questions to find out whether the position aligns with your values, character, and skill set. Be sure to understand the full value of the offer they are offering you. This includes salary, perks, benefits, bonus, etc. Remember, there is a value to each of these perks and you need to evaluate the total compensation value against how much you can bring to the company.
During your interview, be sure to use your personal strengths and what you know about the job to establish your worth. If you see areas in which you can excel and bring additional value to the role, your potential negotiating position strengthens.
During most interviews, the interviewer will ask you what compensation you are looking for in this job. This is often a difficult question for interviewees and they struggle to articulate their value. Try to align your compensation with the overall performance of the company, especially if it’s a smaller company. That’ll be music to your potential employer’s ears and can lead to an easy compensation negotiation.
Evaluating your job compensation should include more than the dollar amount. For most of us, the work-life balance is important. Before going to an interview, evaluate how you can assist the prospect company with their goals and how the company will fit into your life goals. Consider whether you’ll be invested enough to go above and beyond the call of duty in this role. If you feel like you can, bring that enthusiasm to the bargaining table. Knowing you’ll be passionate about the position makes salary negotiations less important, but it also helps ensure the likelihood of your long-term success, both financially and emotionally.
Delta Computer Consulting, Inc. is certified through the WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) as a woman-owned and woman-operated business.
