Should You Care About Graphology

Should You Care About Graphology 3 Low turnover is one trait shared by companies on CNNMoney's 100 Best Companies to Work For 2007, which is hardly surprising. Good companies not only appreciate the investment they make in you, but also the investment you make in them. Turnover is a lost return on these investments and a sign of failure. As a result, companies want more than ever to be sure of themselves when they recruit and are willing to try unconventional ways of evaluating candidates, like graphology. What is Graphology? Graphology is defined as the “study of handwriting especially for the purpose of character analysis” by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. Many people tend to roll their eyes at the idea that their personalities can be deciphered from a few lines scribbled on paper and the fact is that there are numerous scientific studies both for and against the validity of graphology. It can happen to you Quick story. During my last job search, a recruiter arranged an interview for me with a top executive at a major hitech company in Israel. My qualifications seemed to fit the job description perfectly and the interview went well enough. Before a second interview could be scheduled, the company required that I write a letter in Hebrew for graphological analysis, which I did without hesitation. I did want the job after all, and I had never been asked to do this kind of thing in the past so I was intrigued albeit somewhat skeptical. I failed the test and didn't get the job. What happened? I was a bit disappointed but not nearly as frustrated as my recruiter since I really did seem like a perfect match for the company. “Why would they do this to you?” she asked me. “You're not a native Israeli (my mother tongue is English and I was born in Montreal) so it doesn't make sense to test you in Hebrew. You couldn't have passed.”eval Anna Koren is a world-renowned expert in graphology, having founded The Graphology Center in Haifa back in 1976. She also co-authored “The Secret Self: A Comprehensive Guide to Handwriting Analysis“. I asked Ms. Koren about the recruiter's reaction. She told me that the recruiter was”…absolutely right. It is very very important to write in the language you are used to.” So much for that. The Test My first brush with graphology could have gone better, but I was still curious about what my handwriting might reveal to a future company, government agency (they are among Anna Koren's clients), descendants, etc. I decided to see for myself by taking a test on handwritingwizard.com. You'll need to give an email address but the test only takes about 15 minutes. Here's some good sample text covering all the letters in the Latin alphabet to write out in cursive before you begin.eval I was blown away. As an introspective person who knows himself pretty well, it would have been tough for me to write a description of my personality as well as the Wizard did. I laughed out loud a few times as I read things about my character that I knew but had never seen written. Wrap up Companies will try new filtering techniques and candidates need to anticipate them to be prepared. Although no longer new, graphology continues to gain popularity and you should test yourself first to avoid surprises later on. Try it, you may learn something. Some food for thought- doing the test reminded me how long it had been since I had written any text longer than my signature. Will graphology die out as our children spend ever more time on computers? How long until children no longer learn to write cursive at all? Don't be surprised!

How to Write Your Summary on Your Resume

How to Write Your Summary on Your ResumeWriting your summary on your resume is one of the most important parts of your job search, as it indicates to a potential employer what you are looking for. A potential employer will also be able to read and understand your resume much better if your summary is clear and concise. Although your resume might be short and to the point, there are some specific elements that will help with writing your summary.The first thing you should know when writing your summary is to start by describing your skills. Describe your skills in great detail, including the type of job you hold, what you do best, and why it is the best choice for you. Be sure to include any special training you have received or any certifications that you may possess. When describing your skills, don't be afraid to list your hobbies, interests, and past jobs, if appropriate. List your education and any training you may have had.The next part of writing your summary is to describe wha t you are looking for in a new job. This part is not necessary to be written down, but you should always describe what you are looking for in your summary. Describe what it is you are looking for in a job and how your experience will help to satisfy that need. Include some examples of jobs you have held in the past, as well as current ones. Try to include at least three positions that you are actively seeking.In your summary, you should always include your contact information. If you are currently employed, include your name, and if you are seeking employment, indicate your job title, contact number, and the position that you are currently seeking. List your location if you are seeking employment elsewhere than in your home country. You should also indicate how long you have been searching for a job.Once you have completed your summary, take a break. For your resume to appear professional, you should make sure that your summary is neat and organized. To do this, you should not inclu de every element on your summary, just those that are most important. Most important of all, take the time to look over your summary before it is submitted to your potential employer. Reviewing your summary can help you get rid of grammatical and spelling errors, as well as demonstrate that you have thoroughly researched and prepared your resume.Once you have written your summary on your resume, you should use the same process to create a cover letter that will be sent to your current employer. Although there are many programs available online to format your cover letter, if you are having trouble with formatting it yourself, consider using a program to create a template for you. You can also search the Internet for free templates to give you an idea of how they look. Templates will save you time and effort when creating your cover letter.Finally, before submitting your resume and cover letter to your current employer, take the time to send them a short note to let them know what yo u are looking for in a new job. Give them the name of your potential employer, and how you found out about the position. Include your contact information so that your contact can follow up with you if they would like to interview you.It is important to be clear and concise in your summary. By taking the time to be specific in your summary, you will be able to stand out from the other candidates who have not spent the time preparing their summary.

Combining Two Business Ideas Produces Increased Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Combining Two Business Ideas Produces Increased Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As I read the stories of other small business owners, lightning struck in a good way. These people all did one thing in common to find success far beyond what they originally envisioned. It is the combination of two success strategies that made the enormous difference. Community service and collaboration are the two success ingredients. In the past, I advised separately to incorporate both of these strategies into your business plan. But the power of combining the two did not occur to me until now. Each of the entrepreneurs referred to above initially faced incredible obstacles, including either losing or walking away from everything they knew. But they held their original vision of what they wanted and firmly believed it would come to be. Beyond that, they allowed others to assist them to get back on their feet. Most of us work alone and feel guilty accepting help. This needs to be changed. The new philosophy should become one of collaboration. Work together Are you involved with a continual community service project where others benefit from your expertise? Consider how your project would benefit by bringing on board those you know, like and trust. What would your grandest project look like? When you bring like-minded people together, the ideas multiply and advance to where your project lands on a much higher plane. The most difficult part of this philosophy is asking others to pitch in. It sometimes seems easier just to do the project by ourselves and not ask for help. So priorities once again are required. Should you desire to create a much larger vision for how you serve others, the collaboration will do this. When it works well, the friendships that come of it usually last a lifetime. The benefit you provide others as well as the rewards become far greater than originally envisioned. Side benefits may come your way too. You may develop new ideas for further products and services; recognition of your name and brand will increase dramatically, and more people will be motivated to become your client. Let me illustrate my experience. I have always taught job seekers how to interview best as a community service project. Many benefited, but it was a solo endeavor. Being it was just myself, there were limitations on how grand the project could be. On a somewhat larger scale, a friend and I created a Business Resource and Job Fair in our town to become known. Because it was community driven, we were given much free publicity and attracted over 200 people to our event. Upon seeing the outpouring of gratitude, it led me to writing my second book, HIRED! The book attracted the right attention itself. Carlos Gil runs the LinkedIn group, JobsDirectUSA.com Finding me in the group and becoming acquainted, he invited me to be a featured speaker for his online conference to be held last quarter this year. It is a nationwide collaborative effort to help get Americans back to work. The combined effort of associations, groups and individuals will bring an event far grander than anything I could do on my own. Our effort is being called AmericaHires360. Working on a grander level with others will enable you to enjoy far greater visibility and many a Smooth Sale! Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”. She provides team sales training, private coaching and business retreats to grow you business. She is available upon request for consultation.

Business Loan Options for Women with Bad Credit

Business Loan Options for Women with Bad Credit Back in the 1960s, it was never easy for women to engage in entrepreneurship activities owed to the many taboos which were associated with women in the business realm. However, more than 50 years now, women are able to compete favorably with their male counterparts when it comes to conducting businesses not only locally but also from the global point of view. However, accessing the capital to fund the operations of business still remains a challenge for many women. Actually, the majority of the big banks are reluctant in offering loans to women considering many of them tend to have bad credit scores. Therefore, it is important for women to consider the available options instead of waiting for their credit history to build up. This way, they will be able to grab business opportunities while they are still viable and expand their corporation while the market conditions are favorable. In this article, we are going to discuss the small business loans options which are available for women having a bad credit history. Women-based organizations/groups The current wave of women empowerment has led to the rise of many organizations and groups which are supporting women in not only building their career but also becoming self-employed. Some of these organization and groups are achieving this agenda by funding women to carry out certain entrepreneurial activities. Majority of the loans provided by these organizations are of very low interest and they sometimes require zero collateral and therefore anybody without money can access this nature of loan perfectly easy. Therefore, as a woman entrepreneur, you can take advantage of these organizations/groups and secure a loan to fund your startup or the expansion of your business Find an understanding lender The traditional lending environment will not be your friend as a woman especially if your credit history is poor. You will have to search different types of lenders who readily provide loans for small businesses which tend to have poor credit scores. Getting such kind of lenders will increase your odds of getting your loan approved and therefore enhance the muscles of your startup.  You can find out these type of lenders from the internet or maybe liaising with your friends who probably might be familiar with the lending fraternity. Basically, when you do your homework well and research widely, you will likely land a decent lender who is likely to sort out all your issues. Alternative Lenders These types of lenders came into being after the 2008 recession when the banks had technically ceased from lending to weak businesses. Their rise was to bridge the gap which had arisen from a reduced amount of lenders compared to the increased demand for loans. These lenders, well known as the fintech lenders make use of various algorithms to determine the amount of loan which can be extended to a person. Currently, the majority of these firms are using big data technology to mine and profile data of potential customers which are later used to determine the creditworthiness of anybody who wishes to borrow from them. Therefore, as a woman, you can consider taking a loan from these kinds of lenders because the banks will not be of help to you. Friends and families In case you have a family member or a friend who is financially stable, you can request a loan from him/her.    Explain the repayment mode perfectly well and maybe the benefit which you will offer after settling the debt. Make sure you honor the agreement with the friend or the family member so as to prevent future confrontation something which can put your business at a stake. Although this kind of loan might not satisfy all your business needs, it can significantly boost your daily operations. Generally, there are many funding opportunities out there for women who would like to engage in entrepreneurship activities and have got poor credit scores. All that which needs to be done is making smart homework and researching extensively on the available options

Writing Is Not Typing - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Writing Is Not Typing - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Unlike most other activities, writing is one of those things you can do when youre not tapping away at your keyboard. Not sitting in your favorite coffee shop, pen in hand. Not taking notes about your latest blog post or article. In fact, writing â€" constant writing, as Jeff Goins calls it â€" is an ongoing process that takes place at so many places that arent a keyboard. In this case, constant doesn’t even mean consistent. It’s not about sitting down at your computer every morning at 7am and turning out 500 words of deathless prose. Constant writing is an ongoing process that lets the act of writing get under your skin and into your blood. Constant writing is the easiest way to foster a writing addiction. To do it, you need to stop thinking of writing as Writing â€" an external, objective task. Instead, you need to start thinking of it as a natural part of you, an extension of who you are. Like thinking, breathing, and laughing. Here are three ways you can keep writing, even when youre not actually, you know, writing. 1. Read If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. â€" Stephen King Sports psychologists have their subjects imagine themselves running the perfect race, playing the perfect game, executing the perfect moves. This mental practice reinforces the same motions and movements the athlete is supposed to make in competition. Researchers have found that this mental rehearsal is nearly as good as the real thing. For writers, our mental practice is reading. Reading other peoples works. Not just online though, but in books. Read authors whose work you admire, whose style you want to emulate. By constantly reading, youre practicing your own writing. Be sure to read works from different kinds of genres, not just your own. Expose yourself to new styles, new authors, and new ways of thinking. 2. Find New Words Goins suggests that the next time youre writing something like a text or an email, focus on the words youre using, and try using new ones. When you write an email, try opening with an impactful lede (newspaper term for lead, or the opening statement). If youre used to using big words, try using small words that a 12-year-old could understand. Or vice versa. I keep a small notebook to record clever turns of a phrase. When I find a new one, Ill write it down, and try to use it somewhere, or come up with my own variation. 3. Step Away From The Notebook Oftentimes our brains will lock up when were trying to come up with an idea. I sat here at my computer for 10 minutes trying to come up with this third point. It was finally when I stepped away for a little while and puttered around that this popped into my head. If you can engage your brain in something fairly routine, mindless, but enjoyable, you can find a new idea or two. Ill go for a walk, clean up in my garage, or start a woodworking project. I let my mind wander, and usually find what I was looking for. The annoying part is, Im usually enjoying my new activity so much, that I hate to stop just to finish the writing. (This is why I keep a notebook handy.) The great thing about being a writer is that we can write anywhere. We just dont need a computer or pen to actually do it. Typing is the art of putting our thoughts onto paper. Its coming up with the thoughts â€" the actual writing â€" that takes place in our brains. Thats the actual hard part. Author: Erik Deckers is the owner of Professional Blog Service, a newspaper humor columnist, and the co-author of Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself and No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing. His third book, The Owned Media Doctrine, will be available this summer.

Today is Job Action Day 2011! - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Today is Job Action Day 2011! The fourth annual Job Action Day is being celebrated today. Spearheaded by Quintessential Careers, this is a day for all those employed or looking for employment to take stock and rethink the way they may be approaching job search. Im honored that my article, 10 Steps to Bullet-Proof Your Career in the New World of Work, was chosen as  a keynote in the Start Up category, one of 3 steps all job seekers should follow, as they plan a job search and manage their careers in the digital age: Heres a rundown of those 3 areas  â€" the critical initiatives and mindset needed to land a job today and maintain a healthy career: 1.   Skill Up: The skills mismatch is a huge issue in the current jobs crisis. Thousands of jobs are going begging because employers cant find skilled employees. This theme focuses on what job-seekers can do to attain the skills that will help land these jobs (including retraining, internships, apprenticeships, lateral job moves, and more). 2.   Start Up: Refers not only to starting small businesses as an alternative to traditional jobs or unemployment, but a whole new mindset of being the CEO of your career  â€" having a portfolio of portable skills, a great network, flexibility, a project-mentality; not sitting at the computer visiting job boards, but getting out there and meeting people, knocking on doors, taking ownership of your career path. 3.   Speak Up: Job-seekers need to be more vocal and demand action from our elected officials  â€" using the media to push a jobs agenda and demanding better media coverage of the jobs crisis  â€" as well as from the so-called job creators to create more jobs. From the Job Action Day 2011 main page, youll also find tips and blog posts written by experts in the careers industry, including Richard Bolles, author of the best-selling career book in history, What Color is Your Parachute?; Tory Johnson of Women for Hire, a top career site for women; author and Generation Y expert Lindsey Pollak; Steve Rothberg, founder of the top college job board, CollegeRecruiter.com; and Eric Shannon, CEO of LatPro, a specialty job board for Hispanic and Spanish/English and Portuguese/English bilinguals. Related posts: Today’s Executive Job Search Toolkit How to Build a Powerful Executive Network 10 Steps to an Authentic, Magnetic Personal Brand 00 0

8 Links to Help Refocus Your Job Search - One Leg at a Time - CareerAlley

8 Links to Help Refocus Your Job Search - One Leg at a Time - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Neale Donald Walsch Some people have an amazing level of confidence in what they do (and can do). Many of these people are highly successful since they are always pushing the envelope. Some, of course, crash and burn. Then there are others who are moderately successful and have a good level of confidence regarding what they know, but are not very proactive in getting out of their comfort zone. Moving up a level or three in your career can be intimidating. We often look up to those at more senior levels and think that it is a bridge too far for us, that maybe we are not good enough to aspire to a senior level. Not true. When I was growing up, I remember being in awe of successful people, as if they were superhuman. But then my father would say everyone puts on their pants one leg at a time. Those at the top (or on their way up) are no different than you and me. You dont need to jump into both legs of your pants at the same time, but if you take it one leg at a time, you too can be at the top of the heap. A rule of thumb when looking for a new job is to look for something that is a bit of a stretch for you. Maybe the next level up or a role with more responsibility. Defining the Challenge You need to determine where you want to move out of your comfort zone to take on more responsibility. Do you want to manage staff, move into a more senior role with more responsibility, learn a new product or service or all of the above? You should take this into consideration when conducting your job search. Your resume and application process should match your new job requirements. Top 10 Ways to Get a Better Job Get Started: Career Exploration Smaller is Better Working for a mid to large company offers lots of opportunities but it is more difficult to get to the most senior levels of the organization. Smaller companies offer more exposure to senior management as well as more opportunities to learn about the entire organization and have your achievements recognized. More often than not, you will have more responsibility in a similar position in a small company than you will in a large company. The Pros and Cons of Working for a Smaller Company Company Research Investigate Small Companies Too Much of a Good Thing -To get a job at that next level, you really need to sell yourself and convince the hiring manager that you are already performing at the next level. Your resume should reflect your experience at the top of your current role and demonstrate that you are clearly ready for the next level. There is (sometimes) a fine line between tooting your own horn and exaggerating to the point where youve crossed the white lie boundary. Simple answer is dont lie on your resume. Toot Your Horn Without Blowing It Dont Lie In Your Rsum But Dont Tell the Truth, Either Working the Network Most people get the fact that their network is their most important job search asset. Your network should include a very long list of former coworkers, friends, relatives, your dog, all can have an impact on you getting a job (okay, maybe not your dog). Todays process of interviewing with the recruiter, the HR manager followed by a parade of other managers before you even get in front of the hiring manager can be frustrating. Any way you can work your network to shortcut (or fast track) your interview process is helpful. Getting directly in front of the actual hiring manager should be your ultimate goal. Dont be shy. Fast Track Your Job Search Networking Your Way to a New Job Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Volunteering Gain work experience and exposure - Hallie Crawford

Volunteering Gain work experience and exposure Volunteering your time is a great way to get experience in a new career field you havent worked in before. What is even better, it’s a wonderful way to give back to your community. One of my group coaching clients sent me this update recently: This Friday is my first scheduled presentation for the North Georgia Goodwill and there are three others later in the month. Next Monday is my first formal speech with the Gwinnett Harbingers Toastmasters Club. I continue to find this is an excellent development and networking  tool. I went from 19 umms the first time I spoke  for two minutes, down to 2 umms for  a table topic speech, plus an eight minute evaluation speech for another speaker -Group Coaching Client This client is brilliantly fine tuning his speaking skills to apply for more positions as a trainer. Hes been in the process of interviewing for his dream job for the past several weeks and is in the last round of the process! Hes found several ways to give back, and at the same time gain experience and exposure to what he wants to do long term. Its a path towards his dream job and hes walking the talk. Consider volunteering. Its a great way to gain experience, fine tune your skills, network, and all while giving back! Career Transition Coach