Should You Accept LinkedIn Connection Requests from Anyone #UROpinion

Should You Accept LinkedIn Connection Requests from Anyone #UROpinion Our LinkedIn group is full of many fantastic discussions, started by various  industry professionals. This week,  Carolyn Hyams  asked our group if they  think you should accept LinkedIn connection requests from anyone and everyone? Heres the LinkedIn discussion! Join our #UROpinion discussion every Monday on LinkedIn, where you can comment on our latest discussion now! Jennifer Jones Newbill says that the issue she has with adding numerous contact on LinkedIn is managing such a huge network. Jennifer Jones Newbill Senior Manager Global Talent COE at Dell I really enjoyed this article. I have found that I have had to modify my settings on LinkedIn (unfortunately) because I had 100s of invites from people I didnt know waiting for me in my inbox pretty overwhelming. Gee, I wish I could manage a network of 10,15 or 20 thousand people but I cant! I would like to see more discussion around connecting with those that you either know (school, previous job), met (event or trade show) and agreed to connect OR in some cases a connection of a connection. To me this is fine hey, you and I both know Suzie would you mind connecting? I can offer X to you and she mentioned you are super at Y Sadly, I just dont see a lot of reciprocation more of a hey, I need help help me. I think it needs to be more of a two way street. Steve Stotz mentions that hes hesitant to accept any connections unless the actual intent is to network.  Moderating whos accepted into your LinkedIn contacts is a great way of keeping your network focused on your specialist industry. Steve Stotz, B.Sc.(Eng),MBA Director Facilities / Properties Drive Innovation, Service Financial Health To Exceed Corporate Objectives No. Some individuals want to connect so to increase his or her number of affiliates. Unless the intent is for networking and or other non professional reason, I would be hesitant to accept the connection. Carolyn Hyams Marketing Director at Aquent (incorporating Firebrand Talent and Vitamin T) @Jennifer I totally agree with you. Not sure why people dont realise that its not just about taking. They need to be generous with their time and knowledge then Im sure you wouldnt hesitate. @Steve I personally think there needs to be some commonality in order to connect. And preferably a customised message as to why I should. Antonis Papadimitriou said that he would add users that share something in common, such as same education or similar industry/background. Moderate to improve your contacts within your industry Youre here to network professionally, not to brag about your extensive list of contacts! Antonis Papadimitriou Senior Sales Professional in Healthcare-Medical Devices Personally I think that we should accept invitations from people that we share something in common like University, School, previous companies,groups, or similar professional areas and interests. Are there any filters for that in Linkedin? Something else: Do you get many Anonymous Viewers at your profile? I do.. Jennifer Jones Newbill Senior Manager Global Talent COE at Dell Carolyn, you bring up a good point. I get the need for pre-created messages if you are in Recruiting and reaching out to 50, 100 people about a job opportunity. Maybe there are other times when a pre-created message is also warranted but not for connecting 1 on 1. And, I feel like the requests I get are not personalized. Customized and personalized is a big help! Should you  accept LinkedIn connection requests from anyone and everyone? Let us know in the comments! To conclude, the general consensus is to be mindful of who you add on LinkedIn, and dont just add everyone to possess a huge network. A small, relevant network full of strong contacts is more useful than a massive network full of LinkedIn users outside of your industry. As  Antonis said, adding users with a similar interests is acceptable  when moderated. We ask our #UROpinion question every Monday on Twitter. Be sure to join us on LinkedIn, where you can comment on our latest discussion now!

September Update Your Resume Month! Dont Forget About LinkedIn - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

September Update Your Resume Month! Don’t Forget About LinkedIn - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Still putting off updating that dusty old resume of yours? Or perhaps you haven’t even begun to draft one for your upcoming job search? This month was meant for you. September is International Update Your Resume Month, brought to you by Career Directors International (CDI). I’ve already written about some ways to update your resume earlier this month, which include: Add conferences, workshops, and events you’ve attended. Include awards, honors, certificates, or licenses. List new skills you’ve learned. Highlight leadership roles. Include authorships and speaking engagements. Your resume is certainly one of the most important job search documents. However, don’t neglect updating your LinkedIn profile as well. With 82 percent of hiring managers using LinkedIn for recruiting job candidates, your LinkedIn profile might be more important than you think. Here’s how you can update your LinkedIn profile in order to be more visible: Brand yourself with a unique headline. Instead of using the generic title LinkedIn provides (the title from your last job, such as “Sales Manager”), make your own headline describing the value you bring to an organization. Mine, for example, reads: “Gen Y Career Expert | Content Marketing Digital PR | Prolific Writer.” Go through the “People You May Know” feature. Although you might have imported your contact book and connected with most folks you interact with regularly, there will inevitably be connections you’ve neglected. LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” feature provides suggestions based on your current contacts, the college or university you attended, previous companies you’ve worked for and more. Join at least five groups pertaining to your interests. Search for groups related to your industry, skills and hobbies. Not only do these memberships display on your profile, but they also help you make additional connections that could be vital to your job search success. Once you’ve joined, look through the discussion threads, answer questions you have expertise about, and ask questions of your own. Add skills, websites, and publications. These things may have changed since you first included them in your profile. Did you recently make a Twitter account and forget to link to it in your profile? Perhaps you’ve learned a new skill or written a blog post in the past month? Make sure these things are front and center on your profile for interested employers to see. How else can job seekers be more visible on LinkedIn? Any other suggestions to add to this list? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of Come Recommended, a  content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes  career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

Why AI Will Enhance Our HR Approach

Why AI Will Enhance Our HR Approach Technology is evolving at a breath-taking pace and the HR profession role has, until recently, tended to focus on sourcing talent to support digital products and services. Emerging technologies have the potential to truly reshape the world in which we live and work, as AI and machine learning afford enormous potential, for the future. The hope must be that the workforce will be able to focus on more creative and interesting work facilitated by interaction with technology, predicated on a changed relationship with work and the workplace. All areas of the organisation will be affected as sophisticated automation changes the emphasis at work; robotics and AI will replace repetitive work and there will be a greater need for creativity and social skills as well as a focus on design and customer service. As automation increases people will take on high-value roles requiring data analysis and problem-solving skills. In the HR department, new technology has the potential to mechanise many tasks and probably roles but also offers the potential to enable smarter ways of working. I hope this means that as suggested by MIT professors Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee new categories of jobs will evolve that will in the broader perspective compensate for those replaced by new technology. Automation at work The 2017 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey, which tracks the trends shaping the agenda for HR and business leaders, only 16 percent say they are ready to manage a workforce with people, robots and AI working side by side. In contrast, Bersin by Deloitte says that 33 per cent of employees expect their jobs will be augmented by AI in the near future. The McKinsey Global Institute estimated that roughly half of today’s work activities could be automated by 2055, give or take 20 years. McKinsey are unequivocal on the subject: Automation will change the daily work activities of everyone, from miners and landscapers to commercial bankers, fashion designers, welders, and CEOs. I posted recently on the value of well-designed onboarding tools and this is a perfect example of where we might choose to use new technologies. Automated and onboarding can be used to engage with new hires, during the period before their start date and onwards. AI will be able to organise the transactional tasks and will act as a virtual HR assistant in the process, securing and filing the documentation employee profiles and dealing with query resolution. Back in 2016 the FT reported on Matilda, a 30cm tall robot designed to shortlist job applicants and interview them. What makes her different from human counterparts is her ability to form decisions free of whim or prejudice, says Professor Rajiv Khosla, director of the Research Centre for Computers, Communication and Social Innovation at Australia’s La Trobe University, who developed her. Security and privacy While such robot technology is not in general use, yet, it is normal to use computers to collect large volumes of publicly available information about candidates during the interview process. The implications are clear. One of the major challenges posed by these new technologies is security. As professionals, we understand why this is crucial, but the tracking and sharing of information is an integral part of the new connectivity. The debate around issues such as the control over data will intensify and we will need to clearly demarcate our moral and ethical boundaries to protect individuals and corporations, designing policies and processes that respect all parties. There is an exciting future ahead for HR as the use of state-of-the-art technology in the recruitment and retention of the managers and innovators will drive superior performance in organisations. Technologies sometimes referred to as ‘disruptive’ will actually afford opportunities to the way in which we attract and engage talent in the workplace.

Work From Anywhere Benefits of Location Independence - VocationVillage

Work From Anywhere Benefits of Location Independence - VocationVillage Since I began providing career coaching via webcam, telephone, and email, I am an evangelist for the benefits of a location independent business. Many people do not consider the ability to be location independent when they are making choices about how to earn a living, so here is a list of some reasons you may want to choose a career path that can be done anywhere you want to be:1. No Commute. In many cities, commutes to employment centers take 2-3 hours per day. Think about all the things you could accomplish instead of spending all that time sitting in a car, bus, or train.2. Flexible Schedule. When you work anywhere with flexibility, you can schedule around parenting obligations, social commitments, exercise, volunteer work, and hobbies. You can have a life.3. Casual Dress. As long as you look presentable and professional on camera, no one has to know the details of the rest of your clothing or whether you are waiting until later to take a shower after your workout.4. Time With Ex tended Family or Friends. When you work from anywhere, vacation doesnt have to be the only time you see family and friends who live in other cities. You can mix work and play and you can more easily be available for family or friends who need your help during times of medical or other crises.5. Recession Proofing. Not all areas of the country are hit equally hard when the economy slows down. By having the ability to work with clients in multiple geographic areas, you dont have to put all your economic eggs in one geographic basket. It makes you less financially vulnerable when you can easily shift your focus to areas of the country that are doing well.6. World Travel. You dont have to limit your location to the United States. As long as the technology is available to do so, you can just as easily work from anywhere in the world.7. Easier Dual-Career Decision-Making. One of the most difficult things about being a corporate or military spouse is that every time you start to gain tract ion in your career, it is time to move again. Location independence is perfect for people in these situations. If you can work from anywhere, relocations dont have to disrupt your flow of income.8. Entrepreneurship or Telecommuting. It is a myth that everyone with a location independent job is self-employed. While it is true that many are business owners or freelancers, there are also plenty of people who have a location independent salaried job.Are you intrigued? Here are some of my favorite resources about how to build a location independent life:64 Ways Location Independent People Earn A Living6 Fempreneurs Who Built A Business From Their BackpackWant to Work from Home? These 13 Sites Will Help You Find Legit JobsRemote.coIf you found this article helpful, please share it!

10 ways to relax for natural workaholics - Debut relax

10 ways to relax for natural workaholics - Debut relax This post was written by an external contributor. Lucy Skoulding has ten top tips to relax, particularly  for those who find it hard to switch off.   I personally find it difficult to relax. Not because I don’t want to, but because I place a lot of pressure on myself, which can sometimes translate into unwarranted feelings that I should always be busy. To tackle this, I’ve realised that relaxation can be found even when you feel at your busiest and it’s important for everyone to have time for it. Workaholics are automatically driven towards working as much as they can and this has been made so much easier by the internet so we can do our jobs remotely. The question is, how do you have time to relax nowadays when schedules are so chaotic and so much is expected of us? Have a bath Soak in a hot bath or set time aside at least once a week to practice any kind of self-care. Society can have an unhealthy opinion of relaxation but relaxing is necessary to perform the rest of our lives to the best of our abilities. Self-care is a way of looking after our bodies mentally and physically, and it can include anything. From having a bath and getting a massage, to cooking healthy food and doing some exercise. Tidy up It may not be the most thrilling activity but clearing up not only helps you feel relaxed in your surroundings, but the ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ idea really has been proved effective. Japanese author Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up goes so far as to say people should rid their house of everything that doesn’t bring them joy. A place so cluttered you can’t find anything will stress you out (believe me) so if you have no need or use for an object but it’s still in good condition, sell it or donate it to a charity shop. Meditate or do yoga If you can fit in yoga, pilates, or meditation, these exercises are incredible for both your mind and body. They are especially useful in helping you feel calm and less stressed. Many gyms do yoga or pilates classes but you can do it at home by following YouTube tutorials. For meditation there are incredible apps like Calm and Headspace â€" I use them before I go to bed sometimes. Plan relaxation time If you struggle to let yourself relax, planning time in your diary might help you to do it guilt-free. For instance, if you have a TV show you enjoy watching at 9pm on a Tuesday, why not aim to get everything done beforehand and allow yourself to relax for the rest of the evening? Relaxing can come in various forms. You might watch TV, read, go for a walk, or pursue a relaxing hobby like painting or baking. Have a device detox Spending time away from social media and electronic devices removes the pressure of being always connected. You could do it all in one go and cut yourself off for a few days, but make sure you tell people who will worry if they don’t hear from you. Equally effective is disconnecting for a few hours every day, for instance before bedtime. Immerse yourself in a hobby Sometimes difficulty relaxing can come from the issues and concerns that make up our daily lives. If you remove yourself from these and take up something you enjoy, youll find relaxing much easier. Choose an activity you love, but make sure it demands your full concentration and that it’s totally different from your work or study. Get out in nature This is probably one of my favourite ways to relax. Nothing can simulate the feeling of fresh air and natural surroundings, and for me as a city-dweller it’s really important. If you can get out in nature for some time every day it will do you the world of good. This is harder if you live in a city, but do what you can â€" visit a park and then plan visits to the countryside at the weekend. Be organised Spending time planning your life can contribute massively to making you feel more in control and therefore more relaxed. Don’t make unrealistic to-do lists because this is likely to stress you out. Instead, make sure you’ve got all your appointments recorded so you don’t miss anything. Get a colouring book Seriously, colouring in is so therapeutic. Get yourself an adult colouring book (I have a Harry Potter one). Switch yourself off from the world for a little while, put on some relaxing music, get a cup of tea, and lose yourself in the colouring. It feels incredible. Pursue happiness Finally, if you feel your natural workaholic ways creeping back ask yourself what makes you happy. Even if you love your job, are you happy to spend loads of your time working and not leave time for other pursuits? Can you slightly cut down your work load and still excel in your career? Remind yourself that happiness is your goal on a daily basis and try to live each day reaching for this. Work hard, but strive to find time for your other interests. And always ensure to look after your health and to see your loved ones. If you can nail this balance, feeling relaxed will come more naturally. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Job Search Would Make A Great Reality Show

Job Search Would Make A Great Reality Show Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life. â€" Oscar Wilde If you have ever watched any of the Housewives of . series, you see how ludicrous peoples lives can be. If you watch The Biggest Loser, you might become entangled in the lives of those who are racing the clock to lose weight. So why hasnt there been a show about job searching? It truly would make an excellent reality show. And there certainly would be no shortage of candidates to follow right now. The Wall Street Journal selects job seekers to document their journey in a blog format. It is interesting and insightful. Check out Laid Off and Looking. I used to watch Super Nanny and loved to see how to better discipline toddlers and create schedules for the family. I learned as I watched the show and I was entertained as well. The nice part about watching this was being able to see the before behaviors and the after behaviors. Seeing is believing. It is possible to make a change and get the desired results- and with a dash of humor mixed in. I dont suppose the job seeker reality show is coming anytime soon, so in place of the show, learn from fellow job seekers. Watch and listen as they tell their stories of search. They made mistakes, they tried some new things, some worked and some didnt. Learn to step out of your comfort zone. Of course, talk to people who have secured new jobs, too. They have success behind them and as they tell their stories, you will undoubtedly hear of their many losses. They frequently tell you what they would have done differently and will openly share their advice. Take it and process it. If you know any producers, pass the idea along. Reality Job Search. It would bring the issue into the main stream and teach the thousands of unemployed and those soon to be unemployed valuable lessons.

What a Teacher Should Know About Writing Their Resume

What a Teacher Should Know About Writing Their ResumeWhen you are looking for a job and you are short on time, you can probably find yourself wondering what a teacher should know about writing their resume. There are a lot of things that you have to cover, and this is the first thing that should be on your list. A good resume will not only help you land the job that you want, but it will also be able to jumpstart your career.First, what a teacher should know about their resume. The main objective of your resume is to show employers that you are worthy of a good paying job. This is the first thing that should be on your resume. It does not matter what area of teaching you work in, there is plenty of companies out there that will look for teachers that can help teach their students.There are two things that you can do that will show employers that you are the best candidate they have. One is to have a great college education, which is something that you should have regardless of what t he subject is. The other thing that you can do is to have experience in your field of study.This is something that is going to always be needed because the fields of study are going to always be in such high demand. All of these students need someone who can help them learn, and so they are going to turn to someone who is knowledgeable about it. Having this kind of knowledge will help you stand out from all of the other candidates.This is the first thing that any teacher should know about their resume. There are a lot of things that a teacher should do before they go to the website. They should check out the options they have for the type of resume that they are going to use. They should do some research and see if there are any ways that they can get it custom made to fit their situation.The second thing that a teacher should know about their resume is to show that they are qualified to teach. If you are going to be in the classroom for the rest of your life, then you should be pre pared for every student that comes into your classroom. You should be prepared to handle the various situations that can arise and teach the students in your classroom. Showing that you are ready to handle the stress that can come with the job will help make you more desirable to an employer.Finally, what a teacher should know about their resume is to make sure that the information that they include is accurate. You are going to have to prove that you are qualified to teach and to do it, you are going to have to put yourself out there. Make sure that you use the right spelling and grammar errors when you write the application. Any information that is wrong should be avoided and proofread over until it is perfect.When you are looking for a job and you are trying to get a hold of the resume of someone that you want to hire, it can be a little overwhelming at first. You are going to need to know what a teacher should know about writing their resume and then you will have a great chance of landing the job that you want.