5 Ways Professionals Can Boost Their Online Reputations

5 Ways Professionals Can Boost Their Online Reputations5 Ways Professionals Can Boost Their Online ReputationsPersonal branding isnt just for celebrities. It applies to you, too Consider this More than one-quarter of Americans now believe that they are more likely to make a first impression zugreifbar than at a party or social engagement. Thats according to a survey by Domain.ME, the provider of the .ME domain extension, and Wakefield Research.prnewswire.com/news-releases/is-your-good-anthroponym-at-risk-survey-of-americans-reveals-import...? Your brand is made up of your online and offline reputations, based on the words and actions you use. Despite that, 79 percent of Americans have not tried to manage information about themselves online, according to the survey. You already have a reputation among the people know you. Ask trusted friends what words they would use to describe you. If your reputation is good, all you need to do is to reiterate and reinforce these words and con cepts in your position updates, LinkedIn profile, resume and online conversations. Dont ignore your online reputation or dismiss social media altogether. In fact, 51 percent of hiring managers use search engines to research candidates, according to a CareerBuilder survey.? Furthermore, 35 percent of employers said they were less likely to interview a candidate they couldnt find online.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=5%2F14%2F2015id=pr893ed=12%...? 1. Google yourself. It isnt hard. You use Google every day. Just search for your name by enclosing your first and last name inside quotes like this Your Name. Most people will not venture past the information on the first page, so pay special attention to the results you find there. Is the first page the best information about you? In other words, if someone were researching you professionally, is this what you would want them to find? Carefully study the first five to ten pages of search results, writes Sus an P. Joyce, an online job search expert, on Job-Hunt.org. Look for anything negative that an employer would see associated with your name (even if it is notlage about you). Joyce calls this defensive Googling. It helps you identify and remove any digital dirt mentioned about you. job-hunt.org/guides/google/defensive-googling-method.shtml? Only 22 percent or about one out of five of those surveyed report that the information that appears in an online search ?is exactly what they want people to know about them, according to the Domain.ME survey. Oftentimes, when people search for their names online, they find inaccurate or outdated information, share their name with someone else or discover embarrassing or reputation-damaging information about themselves. Of the survey respondents, 93 percent did not have an alert set up for their name. Dont become the victim of negative digital dirt. 2. Create alerts. Google makes it easy to set up alerts. Go to google.com/alerts and type in you r name inside quotes. That tells Google to search for those exact words. Once you set up your alert, youll receive an email whenever your name is mentioned online. 3. Buy your domain name. This is a really easy way to stand out because only 6 percent of Americans have purchased a domain address that includes their name, according to Domain.MEs research. Having a website under your name improves where you rank in online search results and lets you control the content on your site. It typically costs less than $20 per year. Visit a domain registry, such as Namecheap.com, Name.com or Hover.com, to see if your name is available. Years ago, .com was the only extension to use, butyou have many more options today. 4. Push good content online. One of the best career-building strategies is to regularly push out good content either written by you or shared from the people you know. Sadly, only 8 percent have created online content to improve search results or reputation, according to Domain .ME. The easy way to do this is to write blog posts and share professional work-related status updates on all of your social media channels. The real takeaway here is to be aware that anything you put online can be used against you. 5. Build a website. Once you own your domain, you want to put something there. Website building has become easier today. You can use one of many tools, such as WordPress, to set up a personal website. Create your own from scratch if you know how to do it. Consider your website a primary online resume and update it every six months or so. Include the link to your website in your email signature, within your LinkedIn profile and in any bio you create across social media. Having one spot you control is one of the best long-term strategies active careerists can maintain. A standout statistic from the Domain.ME survey is that 93 percent of respondents hadnt created online content, such as a personal website, to improve search results or their reputation. B egin today and youll be in the small minority of standout candidates.

10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins schedule that will double productivity

10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins schedule that will double productivity10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins schedule that will double productivityBenjamin Franklin is best remembered as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, but he achieved much more in his lifetime. During Franklins 84 years alive, he invented the lightning rod,made significant discoveries in physics and population studies, wrote best-selling books, composed music and played the violin, harp and guitar at a high level, foundedmany civic organizations, including the University of Pennsylvania, and much more.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreHow did Franklin achieve so much more than his contemporaries, given he had the same 24 hours each day to get things done?The answer to this question lies in Franklins daily schedule.Heres how it works, including 10 lessons that will double your productivity this we ek.Create a list of values to live byBefore putting pen to paper on his daily schedule, Franklin created a list of virtues to live by.He referred to these as his 13 virtues a list of values designed to help guide his daily schedule.Heres the list of Benjamin Franklins 13 virtues1. TemperanceEat bedrngnis to dullness and drink not to elevation.2. SilenceSpeak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.3. OrderLet all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.4. ResolutionResolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.5. FrugalityMake no expense but to do good to others or yourself i.e. Waste nothing.6. IndustryLose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.7. SincerityUse no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly and, if you speak, speak accordingly.8. JusticeWrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.9. ModerationAvoid e xtremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.10. CleanlinessTolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.11. ChastityRarely use venery but for health or offspring Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or anothers peace or reputation.12. TranquilityBe not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.13. HumilityImitate Jesus and Socrates.Franklin arranged each virtue in order of importance, and instead of tackling all of them at once, he planned to fix it on one of them at a time and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, geschiebemergel I should have gone thro the thirteen.Each day, Franklin would track his progression on one virtue, in a little book- which had a page allotted for each of the virtues- and in the evenings, he would put a mark next the virtue if he committed a fault.At the end of each week, Franklin would review the number of faults committed against the virtue, and w ould only move onto building the habit of the next virtue, if no faults were committed.By creating a list of values to live by, Franklin laid a solid foundation to build a daily schedule that aligns with them, and directs his time and energy in the right direction.Benjamin Franklins daily scheduleYou may delay, but time will not.? Benjamin FranklinInBenjamin Franklins autobiography(audiobook), he breaks down his simple daily schedule for peak productivityFrom Ben Franklins AutobiographyHere are the 10 most important productivity lessons from Franklins daily schedule1. Keep it simpleThe first thing to note about Franklins daily schedule is its simplicity.There are only six time blocks scheduled for each day, and one of these blocks includes sleep- an obvious necessity.Theres no overwhelming to-do list of things to get done. Its simple, ruthlessly focused on the essential, and highly effective.Its easy to underestimate thepower of simplicity, even though its the hidden driving force b ehind peak productivity.2. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each dayOne of Franklins most popular mantras was early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,and according to this schedule, he definitely lived up to it.Each day, Franklin woke up early at 5am and went to bed early at 10 pm, for a total of 7 hours of sleep each night.Its important to note however, that what matters most isnt the time you go to bed or wake up, its the consistency of your sleep schedule.By going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, youlltrain your brain to fall asleep fasterand improve the quality of your sleep.3. Spend quiet time aloneShortly after waking up, Franklin would take a shower and then addressPowerfull Goodness. In other words, hed spend some time in prayer or meditation.This dailyhabit of solitudegave Franklin the much needed clarity and focus to plan the day, and follow through on his plans.4. Set your intention and plan for the dayEach morning, befor e going to work, Franklin would set his intention for the day with an important question What good shall I do this day?Then hed pick a virtue to focus on, and begin to contrive days business, and take the resolution of the day i.e. to plan his day.Setting an intention and creating a plan of action each morning, ensures that you stay focused on your most important task and avoid getting easily distracted by the minutia, and other people during the day.5. Dedicate time to learningIn Franklins daily schedule, he sets aside some time to prosecute the present study, which means hed spend time on an independent personal project separate from work.Most likely, this wouldve been time spent reading either books or papers.Alternatively, you could spend this time learning a language, playing an instrument or on your hobbies.6. Create time blocks for deep and shallow workTo plan his day, Franklin createdtime blocksto manage his time effectively and protect his day from unexpected interruptions. Specifically, Franklin allocated two four-hour time blocks- from 8am till 12 pm, and from 2pm till 6 pm- for deep work and uninterrupted focus on his most important tasks.Likewise, Franklin allocated a two-hour time block- from 12 am till 2 pm- for lunch and shallow work i.e. reviewing his finances.By creating time blocks in this manner, Franklin finished his most important tasks for the day, when he had themost energy to do so.7. Put things back in order after workAfter a long tiring day at work, its easy to walk away from our work space and leave things in a disorderly manner, only to return back the next morning to clean it up before getting back to work.Even though this saves time upfront, it wastes valuable time, willpower and energy, that couldve been spent working on important tasks straight away.To avoid this problem, Franklin made sure to clean up his work space and put things back in order before leaving the office each day.This ensured that Franklin had enough willpower e ach morning, to tackle the tedious tasks in the long day ahead.8. Schedule downtimeAfter work each day, Franklin would clean up his work space, eat dinner, and spend the rest of the evening relaxing listening to music and catching up with his friends.Downtime isnt a waste of time. Its a powerful productivity tool for re-energizing the brain and body, in preparation for the challenges of the next day.9. Reflect on your day in the eveningsJust before going to bed, Franklin would reflect on his day and ask himself an important question What good have I done today?After noting down what went well, and what didnt go so well during the day, Franklin would look to change and improve his daily schedule.Likewise, an evening audit of your daily productivity will help you to uncover time-wasting activities that drain your energy, and improve your daily schedule for better productivity.10. Dont aim for perfectionIn the bookDaily Rituals How Artists Work(Audiobook), Currey explains that Franklin himself struggled to stick to his daily scheduleHe was not naturally inclined to keep his papers and other possessions organized, and he found the effort so vexing that he almost quit in frustration. Moreover, the demands of his printing business meant that he couldnt always follow the exacting daily timetable that he set for himself.What matters most isnt perfectionism, its improvement. As Franklin emphasizedI was surprisd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish.Celebrate your small wins and avoid beating yourself up when you fall short of your plans, because at the end of the day, its the effort that really counts.Failing to plan is planning to failBenjamin Franklins daily schedule is a simple, highly effective template for improving your productivity.Even though it was created over 300 years ago, it contains timeless principles that will help you to avoid the distractions of the modern world, and stay focused on your most important tasks.Tweak and experiment with Franklins daily schedule to find what works best for you, but remember in the words of Benjamin Franklin, what matters most isnt the contents of the plan, its the decision to make a plan in the first placeIf you fail toplan, you areplanning to failMayo Oshin writes atMayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus,join his free weekly newsletter.A version of thisarticleoriginally appeared atmayooshin.comas10 Lessons From Benjamin Franklins Daily Schedule That Will Double Your Productivity.FOOTNOTES

Get Answers to Your Unemployment Claims Questions

Get Answers to Your Unemployment Claims QuestionsGet Answers to Your Unemployment Claims QuestionsBeing unemployed is stressful and sometimes the unemployment benefitsprocess can add to that stress. It can be difficult to get through to the unemployment office to get help with your questions or resolve issues with your claims. One unemployed person recalled, I had to call more than 20 times to get through to my state unemployment office I just sat tzu siche in front of the TV and called over and over. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions on unemployment claim issues that will help you collect unemployment benefits and handle glitches in the process. Why Didnt I Get My Unemployment Check? There are several reasons that your unemployment benefits could have stopped. The simplest explanation is that you have used up all the benefits available to you. Benefits vary by state, so unemployment compensation differs based on your location and your individual claim. There c ould also be an issue with your claim. Shahrzad Arasteh, founder of Career Consulting Services, notlagees that when she worked for a nonprofit workforce development organization, some of her clients would share that their checks had unexpectedly stopped. In some cases, she learned they had answered No to the question of whether they were actively searching for a job, causing the unemployment insurance (UI) claim to be flagged and their check stopped. She notes that working with a career counselor or career development agency may have met the job-search requirement, but clients either did not know this or did not know what would happen if they answered no. If your benefits have stopped and you are unsure why, you should check with your state unemployment office for clarification, which brings us to our next question. I Cant Get a Hold of Anyone at the Unemployment Office. What Should I Do? Scott Barer,a labor and employment attorney in California, has one word for anyone trying t o contact an unemployment office tenacity. Sometimes it takes visits to the local office, says Barer. Sometimes it takes interminable waits on the phone. Sometimes it takes working your way up the chain of command. It almost always takes tenacity. One of his clients was denied a claim for unemployment benefits. After going down to the unemployment office handling her claim and asking to meet with a representative, things seemed to go much smoother. She was even given an inside phone number so she could reach a live person rather than being stuck on perma-hold. He also notes that once they prevailed at the appeal, her benefits were paid back to the date of her original application. What if the Person I Talk to Cant Answer My Question? Even once you reach someone in the unemployment office, its possible they will not have the answers to the questions you are asking. Dont give up. If you cant get the answer you want, Arasteh recommends asking to speak with a supervisor or someone w ho reviews cases. If the supervisor is not there, leave your number and ask that they call you back. If you dont hear from them in a day or two, go back to the office. It may also be a good idea to ask an employee there when the supervisor will be in next, so you can wait or come back at a better time. If you still cant get the answers youre looking for, Arasteh suggests getting in touch with someone at your states department of labor, explaining your issue and asking for help with resolving it. The unemployment benefits claims process can be frustrating at a time when more frustration is the belastung thing you need in your life. But patience and persistence will pay off - literally.

4 Ways to Highlight Your Value on Your Resume

4 Ways to Highlight Your Value on Your Resume4 Ways to Highlight Your Value on Your Resume4 Ways to Highlight Your Value on Your ResumeUnsure how to make your accomplishments stand out? Heres what you need to know.If you are working on your resume, it is important to position yourself as if you were reading it from the employers perspective. Instead of thinking, What can this job do for my career? think more about What can I possibly bring to this employer? It is the answer to the second question that will help you align your skill-set with the needs of the potential job opening.First, include several job titles or skill-sets at the top of the resume (immediately after the heading). For an administrative position, the headings could be something similar toCustomer Service Expert Administrative Oversight Office Management.If someone is in accounting, they may want to use a heading suchasAccounts Payable and Receivable Financial Management.RelatedHow to Brag on Your Resume Without Sounding Like a JerkNext, be sure to include a career summary. This is a three to five line section at the top of your resume (immediately after the job titles and heading) that describes your career from a high overview perspective. This section should include keywords from the advertisement, a list of some of your past experiences, and the diverse skill-sets that you can bring to the employer.Then, include a section that discusses Core Competencies or Areas of Expertise. This section can be modified for each job opportunity and should include skills that are listed in the job posting. Items like Leadership, Communication, Detail-Orientation, Decision-Making, and Time Management skills can be included here. This section is critical to making it through the Applicant Tracking System or ATS. Many companies utilize this computerized scanning ordnungsprinzip to go through resumes and put them into a yes pile or a no pile. If you dont have the appropriate keywords listed on your documen t, you can say goodbye to your chances of an interview.Finally, under Work Experience or Professional History, ensure you can back-up your claims. Rather than stating you have marketing skills, state the dollar amount of the budget you managed. If you increased sales during your tenure with an organization, list the percentage that sales increased by each year. Quantitative information is a key to relaying the relevant information when applying for a new position.The bottom line is to be as specific as possible with your information, ensure you read and re-read the job posting to verify you are using the right keywords, and include all appropriate sections within your document. Unsure what information belongs on yourresume?Request a free resume review to find out.Click on the following link for more resume advice.Recommended Reading5 Signs Its Time to Hire a Professional Resume WriterIts Time to Ditch Your Resume Objective Statement11 Steps to Writing the Perfect Resume

4 Habits of Excellence

4 Habits of Excellence4 Habits of ExcellenceA career lasts decades. How can you sustain excellence for the long haul?Ive been asked to speak to the honors students at a local high school on the topic of excellence. The more I thought about it, the more I realized this is a topic for people who are searching for a job.Defining excellenceWhen I personally define excellence, it means doing an activity as well as you can do it right now and searching for ways to do it better in the future.That means you can achieve excellence at any point in your life. Its in your hands. If you are doing an activity as well as you can do it and you are looking for ways to do it better, you are achieving excellence. Since you will be on a job search (either inside or outside of your current organization) every three to five years for the rest of your career, developing excellent job-search habits is a good idea and a worthy habit for career success.Excellent job-search habit 1 Be ready for your momentMy s enior year in high school, I was in a play. It was the only play that I was ever in. I had four lines to say, two in the first act and two in the second act. In the first act, I delivered my two lines perfectly. I then had 45 minutes before my next scene. I stood behind the curtain and watched part of the play, I talked with the other actors and actresses, and then I went into the restroom to check my hat. I had to wear this big brown hat, and I wanted to make sure it looked OK.Then with what I thought was about 10 minutes before my next scene, I went behind the curtain to relax for a moment. In that instant the lead actress saw me, and yelled, Coughlin, you are on right now And she pushed me from behind the curtain onto the stage. Without even looking up, I said my two lines as fast as I could and then went over and sat down. For the rest of that scene I sat there sweating profusely. I had almost ruined the play for everyone else because I was bedrngnis ready for my moment. I wasnt alert and well prepared. Truth be told, I was lucky that the lead actress saw me when she did.To achieve excellence whatever you are doing, you have to be ready for your moment. You have to be prepared, and you have to be alert. Dont depend on luck.Be mentally prepared in case a job interview starts 10 minutes early or two hours late. Be prepared in case a new career opportunity opens tonight and you have to explain why you are the best person for the job. Know your strengths and passions, and have examples prepared to show how you move results in the right direction.Excellent job-search habit 2 Schedule thinking timeWhen I was in high school, I was in constant motion. I was either sitting in class, doing homework, playing soccer, or attending church or a church-related event. I averaged over three hours of homework every night for those four years.However, I almost never took the time to think. My entire focus was on the task at hand. I had six classes each semester and my vision rarely ever went beyond the next platzdeckchen of tests. That focus created a short-term benefit with a long-term problem. I did very well academically and had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do in college or in my career. I barely even thought about college until the second semester of my senior year.I encourage you to avoid this mistake in your career. Dont be consumed by today to the point that you never think about the future of your career. Instead, look at your calendar for the next week and block out one hour really to think. Put your work to the side and pull out a blank sheet of paper. At the top of that sheet of paper write down the No. 1 thing you want to be doing in your career in the next three years. Then write down this question How will I get there?Answer that question from a variety of perspectives your perspective, your boss perspective, your co-workers perspective, your friends perspective, and the perspective of a competitor at another organization. For 35 mi nutes, answer that question with as many ideas as you can. Then take the next 10 minutes to combine ideas to make even better ideas. At the end of those 10 minutes, select your best idea. Then spend the next 15 minutes putting together a plan of how you can use your best idea.If you do that every week, you will have thought through your career in great detail and will be on the way to making your desired situation a reality.Excellent job-search habit 3 Schedule non-thinking timeGive yourself a break on a regular basis. Slow down for 10 minutes each day and go for a walk without your cell phone. Take three consecutive hours a week and get away from your responsibilities and just relax. Save some fun television shows that you are really going to watch and enjoy them each week. Every quarter, take two days in a row to relax.Your brain needs to rest in order to come up with better ideas. If you remain in never-ending activity, you will eventually burn out physically and mentally. Burnou t is a real danger if your goal is to sustain excellence for a lifetime.By my junior year in college, I hit burnout. I simply stopped caring about my grades and whether or not I was learning anything. I had gone six solid years of continuous studying to get good grades, and then one day I said to myself, What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Whats the point? Because I never gave myself time to rest and I never really spent time thinking in a purposeful way, I ran directly into a brick wall. I was mentally fried. And then I wasted my last two years in college just going through the academic motions. When my learning could have been at a peak, it reached a valley. Looking back, I realize what happened.When I was a freshman in high school, my counselor said, Dan, its a marathon, not a sprint. You cant burn yourself out now and expect to have anything left later on. Pace yourself. Enjoy yourself while you are learning. I ignored his advice. Now I get it. Whether you are in the first yea r or the 20th year of your career, you have to pace yourself. Excellence is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to build in non-thinking time to relax. In doing so, you will be relaxed and energized as you search for your next career move.When it comes to thinking and non-thinking time, a lot of adults have never done either one. They just keep going and going and going. They dont take the time really to think in a focused way, and they never relax long enough to give their brains a rest.Excellent job-search habit 4 Dont let anyone talk you out of achieving your dreamsLife is funny. When youre in high school, everyone asks you, What are you going to do with your life when you grow up? People want you to dream big dreams. They want you to reach for the sky. Then you get grown up and start to pursue those wild dreams, and people say, When are you going to get serious and get a real job and make real money so you can raise kids to go after their dreams?If you dont go after your dreams, why should your kids go after theirs?If you believe in a dream, then go after it. Find something you really believe in and work toward getting that type of job opportunity. Not every dream will be realized, and thats OK. But dont let someone else talk you out of achieving what you want to pursue. If you maintain the habit of going after your dreams, then theres a chance you will do it for the rest of your life, and so will your kids.

Rumors, Lies and Skills to List on Resume

Rumors, Lies and Skills to List on Resume Its also excellent to have the ability to show employers how you decide whats important to concentrate on and get done, and the way you go about meeting deadlines. The responsibilities of your job may change and your possible employer would like to know that youre prepared to be flexible. An employee whos willing to provide credit to others, is very likely to gain their respect and admiration. So, youve got to keep researching what you should do and need to be in a position to be a fantastic candidates as a hotel front office supervisor. Finding the Best Skills to List on Resume Regardless of what your precise job title is, when youre acting as a geschftsleben administrator, you can expect to be accountable for major functions within the structure of a business and supervise many people as a piece of your work. Depending on the help of our expert sources, here are a couple of broad sorts of skills your resume could include, together wit h unique methods to express them. You wish to use an example for a guide so you may begin writing your own covering letter (also called a motivation letter). Finally, however, its most effective to format your resume in a means that is simple to read, easily skimmable, and attractive to possible employers. Your capacity to listen helps them understand that youre customer focused. There are a lot of ways which you can choose to listing your abilities. Irrespective of the amount of phone lines you must answer, appropriate telephone etiquette is a significant region of clerical work. A fast search on the web will display a lot of cover letters for resumes examples. Yes, employers would like to know you have the standard hard skills for work, but if youre a quick learner, you can expand your skill set with time. Another advantage of including skills is that lots are industry keywords employers use to locate suitable applicants. When it can be tempting to want to include things like each one of your skills in your resume, additionally, it is important to realize that employers have a tendency to skim resumes searching for very specific qualities and qualifications. Listing your skills is only one way a possible employer can find out whether or not you have the qualifications necessary to do the duties of the job. Doing so is leise another method of reinforcing your qualifications for the job which you seek. While there are not any set-in-stone guidelines outside of what hiring managers want to find in regard to education, a candidate might need to have specific certifications or training to qualify. Technical Skills Listing technical skills can be challenging, even should a candidate is applying for work in precisely the same industry in which he is presently working. Specific Skills In some instances, a candidate may want to list specific hard skills which are not tied to any specific solution, but distinctive understanding. There continue to be other skills that you will need to have. Any extra computer skills you have is only going to boost your resume. Make certain that you have a minumum of one case of a time you demonstrated every one of the top five skills listed here. Make certain that you have a minumum of one example for a time you demonstrated every one of the top five skills listed here. Or you may try to compose a paper, along with, skills section independently. Soft skills are in high demand in the modern job marketplace. Writing skills are also vital for many unique jobs. Activities beyond the workplace may show skills that will apply to a brand-new career. Administrative skills are required for a number of jobs, which range from office assistants to secretaries to office managers. Organization Administrative jobs of all types need strong organizational skills. Your urge to become great at what you doto learn, to growis an indicator as to the way you will perform in any particular position, states Conway. There are a lot of qualities you might not think of as skills that may help enhance your resume, and therefore your odds of being hired. The very last thing that you want to get started doing is second guessing yourself. If youre serious about improving yourself and your skills, dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes every day or a few hours per week to developing new or present skills.

Lack of Experience Leaves Half of 2012 College Grads Jobless, Underemployed

Lack of Experience Leaves Half of 2012 College Grads Jobless, Underemployed They studied for years. They met the requirements. Proudly, they walked across the stage to receive their coveted degrees. Yet, millions of recent college graduates are receiving a leid so pleasant return on their educational investments unemployment. According to a study by the Associated Press, more than half, or 53 percent, of the nations recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, the highest share in 11 years. Graduates are trading their dream positions of engineers, doctors and one-day CEOs for retail, food-service and warehouse jobs.The AP reportsAbout 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelors degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years. In 2000, the share was at a low of 41 percent, before the dot-com bust erased job gains for col lege graduates in the telecommunications and IT fields.Out of the 1.5 million who languished in the job market, about half were underemployed, an increase from the previous year.While science, education and health-related degrees are faring well, those former students holding degrees in the humanities and arts cannot say the same. Graduates are working jobs that either do not require a bachelors degree or do not utilize their skills or knowledge. To add insult to injury, the AP reported that the median wages for those possessing bachelors degrees are down from 2000.With the continuous increase in college tuition, massive amounts of debt and a seemingly bleak job outlook, many pre-and-post graduates are questioning whether or not a college degree is actually worth the financial investment. So, is it?As a recent graduate of the 2012 class three months to be exact I can honestly say that this question has become more and more complicated to answer. I know many people who have graduated from college in the past two years who fall into the un or under categories when it comes to employment. One person I know did an accelerated, but rigorous and expensive degree-program. He received a bachelors degree in just two years, racked up more than $40,000 in student loans and has been working in retail since he graduated.Another graduate I know couldnt find a job with her public relations degree and ended up moving back home and working as a cashier at a local grocery store. There are numerous similar stories.Yet, I know some tales with a different ending. My fellow 2012 graduates have landed jobs at companies such as Bloomberg, CNN and Teach for America. Some got accepted into law and medical schools, others are working to start their own companies.Whats the difference?Jordan Weissmann, associate editor at The Atlantic, sums it up in his article on the unemployment crisis Its about the skill set.Now more than ever, degrees cannot stand on their own. They must be supported by experience. Internships, fellowships, research and volunteer work These are the things recruiters and employers look for beyond the B.A.s and B.S.s. A college degree shows a student was capable of completing demanding requirements and gained knowledge in a particular area over time. The extracurricular activities, such as internships, show how he or she demonstrated his or her understanding by practicing and perfecting the skills the individual learned while in pursuit of the degree.Degrees do still matter they are still required for most current positions. Yet, just as importantly, college students need to focus on building the necessary skills for future job success through hands-on, practical experience.