How to Make a Career Choice When You Have No Idea What You Want to Do

There are hundreds of career options out there. How do you make a career choice when you don't really know what you want to do? Does it seem like an insurmountable task? It's not. Yes, you will have to put some time and energy into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. Follow these steps to making a good career choice.

Assess Yourself

(c) Stefan Klein / istockphoto.com

Before you can make a career choice you have to learn about yourself. Your values, interests and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers especially suitable for you and some particularly inappropriate. You can use self assessment tools, often called career tests, to gather this information and, subsequently, to generate a list of occupations that are deemed appropriate. Some people choose to have career counselors or other career development professionals administer these tests but many opt to use free career tests that are available on the Web.

Make a List of Occupations to Explore

(c)RTimages / istockphoto.com

Look over the lists of occupations generated through your use of the self assessment tools. They are probably rather lengthy. You want to come up with a much shorter list, consisting of between five and ten occupations. Circle occupations that appear on multiple lists. Circle occupations you may have considered previously and that you find appealing. Write these occupations down on a separate list titled "Occupations to Explore."

Explore the Occupations on Your List

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For each occupation on your list, you will want to look at the job description, educational and other requirements, job outlook, advancement opportunities and earnings.

• How to Explore Careers

Conduct Informational Interviews

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At this point you should only have a few occupations left on your list. You now need to gather more in-depth information. Your best source of this information are people who have firsthand knowledge of the occupations in which you are interested. Identify who they are and conduct informational interviews with them. You can also read Real Career Stories sent in by readers.

• How to Conduct an Informational Interview

Continue Narrowing Down your List

(c) Dawn Rosenberg McKay

Pare down your list of possible occupations based on what you learned from your research. For example, you may not be willing to put the time and energy into preparing for an occupation for which an advanced degree is required, or you may consider the earnings for a particular occupation inadequate.

Set Your Goals

(c) Shannon Long / istockphoto.com

By now you should have decided on one occupation you want to pursue. It's time to put a plan into place so you can eventually find a job in that field, but first you will need to set some goals.

• Setting Goals

Write a Career Action Plan

(c) Peter Jochems / istockphoto.com

Now that you have set your goals, you will need to decide how to reach them. A career action plan will help guide you as you pursue your long and short term goals.

• Writing Career Action Plans

Train for Your New Career

(c) John Cardwell, istockphoto.com

It is likely you will have to train for your new career. That could take the form of earning a degree, doing an internship or taking courses to learn some new skills.
 http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/tp/Career-Choice.htm

The Career Planning Process

What is Career Planning?

Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring. The Career Planning Site offers coverage of all these areas. This article will focus on career choice and the process one goes through in selecting an occupation. This may happen once in our lifetimes, but it is more likely to happen several times as we first define and then redefine ourselves and our goals.

Career Planning: A Four Step Process

The career planning process is comprised of four steps. One might seek the services of a career development professional to help facilitate his or her journey through this process. Whether or not you choose to work with a professional, or work through the process on your own is less important than the amount of thought and energy you put into choosing a career.

Self

Gather information about yourself (self assessment)

• Interests
• Values
• Roles
• Skills/Aptitudes
• Preferred Environments
• Developmental Needs
• Your realities

Options

• Explore the occupations in which you are interested
• Research the industries in which you would like to work
• Research the Labor Market

Get more specific information after you narrow down your options by:

• Job Shadowing
• Part time work, internships, or volunteer opportunities
• Written materials
• Informational interviews

Match

During this phase of the process, you will:

• Identify possible occupations
• Evaluate these occupations
• Explore alternatives
• Choose both a short term and a long term option

Action

You will develop the steps you need to take in order to reach your goal, for example:

• Investigating sources of additional training and education, if needed
• Developing a job search strategy
• Writing your resume
• Gathering company information
• Composing cover letters
• Preparing for job interviews

http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/choosingacareer/a/cp_process.htm

Starting a Professional Career

Owning vs. Working for Others

Whether you want to buy your own practice, or will start your career working for others, you need to make early decisions with care. Ask yourself some pertinent questions.

• What type of practice do you want to work in, and where do you want to work (geographically, right down to the location)?
• Do you want to be your own boss or do you prefer to be part of a team?
• What sort of people do you want to work with?
• Do you prefer working with people of your own age, or do you appreciate the knowledge older people can impart? Should the people you work with share your personal ideals or do you prefer to work with others who may think very differently from you?
• Exactly what do you hope to achieve in your professional career?
• Do you want to be a leader, or do you prefer to work in the background and let others do the leading?
• How much time do you want to spend on the administration of your business?

Now look at the two options:
1. In solo practice:

• Your initial financial investment will be high
• You are wholly responsible for the success or failure of your business
• you determine your hours and the size of your practice
• you make all decisions on equipment and staffing
• you control your own expenses
• you have little opportunity for in-office consulting with colleagues
• you lose money when you take time off
• YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS

2. When working with others:

• your initial financial investment may be relatively low
• you have to put in less administrative time
• in-office consulting with colleagues is easily available
• expenses are shared
• you may have less control over the size of your practice
• you may have less control over the hours you work
• you may not initially see the type of client you prefer to work with
• you may have little control over your staffing arrangements
• politics may interfere with the business flow
• the successes and failures of business are shared

If you are going to be joining an existing group, you will need to know:

• what size group you want to join
• what type of clientele you prefer to work with
• whether you want to build your practice quickly or work into it gradually
• how compatible your ideals and personality need to be with the group
• how much staff time you will need - in other words, do you prefer to delegate to other, or do you prefer to do a lot of the groundwork yourself
• how much space you want and need to practice as you prefer
• how much revenue you want to achieve in the first year
• what is the buy-in feature (if any)?

If you are going to buy/take over an existing practice, consider hiring a financial management consultant experienced in practice evaluations to assess the practices you are interested in. A consultant can help you negotiate a fair price once you have considered the following:

• evaluate the practice profile carefully
• make sure the practice client mix suits your interests
• assess the current revenue stream
• assess the reputation (goodwill) of the practice
• find out how you will be introduced to existing clients
• evaluate level of staff efficiency if you will be taking over existing staff
• appraise possible changes to design, etc., and relevant costs
• check that location of current practice fits your future plans
• compare current short/long term plans for practice with your plans
• assess whether this is the best opportunity for you in terms of your career.

http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/RBC:olbopdaref/professionals/owning-vs-working-for-others.html

How to Build a Teamwork Culture

Fostering teamwork is creating a work culture that values collaboration. In a teamwork environment, people understand and believe that thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively. People recognize, and even assimilate, the belief that “none of us is as good as all of us.” (High Five)
It’s hard to find work places that exemplify teamwork. In America, our institutions such as schools, our family structures, and our pastimes emphasize winning, being the best, and coming out on top. Workers are rarely raised in environments that emphasize true teamwork and collaboration.
Organizations are working on valuing diverse people, ideas, backgrounds, and experiences. We have miles to go before valuing teams and teamwork will be the norm.
You can, however, create a teamwork culture by doing just a few things right. Admittedly, they’re the hard things, but with commitment and appreciation for the value, you can create an overall sense of teamwork in your organization.

Create a Culture of Teamwork

To make teamwork happen, these powerful actions must occur.

• Executive leaders communicate the clear expectation that teamwork and collaboration are expected. No one completely owns a work area or process all by himself. People who own work processes and positions are open and receptive to ideas and input from others on the team.
• Executives model teamwork in their interaction with each other and the rest of the organization. They maintain teamwork even when things are going wrong and the temptation is to slip back into former team unfriendly behavior.
• The organization members talk about and identify the value of a teamwork culture. If values are formally written and shared, teamwork is one of the key five or six.
• Teamwork is rewarded and recognized. The lone ranger, even if she is an excellent producer, is valued less than the person who achieves results with others in teamwork. Compensation, bonuses, and rewards depend on collaborative practices as much as individual contribution and achievement.
• Important stories and folklore that people discuss within the company emphasize teamwork. (Remember the year the capsule team reduced scrap by 20 percent?) People who “do well” and are promoted within the company are team players.
• The performance management system places emphasis and value on teamwork. Often 360 degree feedback is integrated within the system.

Tips for Team Building

Do you immediately picture your group off at a resort playing games or hanging from ropes when you think of team building? Traditionally, many organizations approached team building this way. Then, they wondered why that wonderful sense of teamwork, experienced at the retreat or seminar, failed to impact long term beliefs and actions back at work.
I’m not averse to retreats, planning sessions, seminars and team building activities – in fact I lead them - but they have to be part of a larger teamwork effort. You will not build teamwork by “retreating” as a group for a couple of days each year. Think of team building as something you do every single day.

• Form teams to solve real work issues and to improve real work processes. Provide training in systematic methods so the team expends its energy on the project, not on figuring out how to work together as a team to approach it.
• Hold department meetings to review projects and progress, to obtain broad input, and to coordinate shared work processes. If team members are not getting along, examine the work processes they mutually own. The problem is not usually the personalities of the team members. It’s the fact that the team members often haven’t agreed on how they will deliver a product or a service or the steps required to get something done.
• Build fun and shared occasions into the organization’s agenda. Hold pot luck lunches; take the team to a sporting event. Sponsor dinners at a local restaurant. Go hiking or to an amusement park. Hold a monthly company meeting. Sponsor sports teams and encourage cheering team fans.
• Use ice breakers and teamwork exercises at meetings. I worked with an organization that held a weekly staff meeting. Participants took turns bringing a “fun” ice breaker to the meeting. These activities were limited to ten minutes, but they helped participants laugh together and get to know each other – a small investment in a big time sense of team.
• Celebrate team successes publicly. Buy everyone the same t-shirt or hat. Put team member names in a drawing for company merchandise and gift certificates. You are limited in teamwork only by your imagination.

Take care of the hard issues above and do the types of teamwork activities listed here. You’ll be amazed at the progress you will make in creating a teamwork culture, a culture that enables individuals to contribute more than they ever thought possible - together.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/team_culture.htm

A Formal, Professional Dress Code

Your Company's objective in establishing a formal work dress code is to enable our employees to project the professional image that is in keeping with the needs of our clients and customers to trust us. Because our industry requires the appearance of trusted business professionals and we serve clients at our site on a daily basis, a more formal dress code is necessary for our employees. You must project the image of a trustworthy, knowledgeable business professional for the clients who seek our guidance, input, and professional services.

Formal Dress Code Guidelines

In a formal business environment, the standard of dressing for men and women is a suit, a jacket and pants or a skirt, or a dress paired with appropriate accessories.

Clothing that reveals too much cleavage, your back, your chest, your feet, your stomach or your underwear is not appropriate for a place of business. In our work environment, clothing should be pressed and never wrinkled. Torn, dirty, or frayed clothing is unacceptable. All seams must be finished. Any clothing that has words, terms, or pictures that may be offensive to other employees is unacceptable.

Dress Down Days

Certain days can be declared dress down days, generally Fridays. On these days, business casual clothing, although never clothing potentially offensive to others, is allowed. Clothing that has the company logo is encouraged. Sports team, university, and fashion brand names on clothing are generally acceptable. You might want to keep a jacket in your office for the days when a client unexpectedly appears on a dress down day, especially if the client is wearing a suit.

Formal Business Attire Recommendations

This is an overview of appropriate formal business attire. The lists tell you what is generally acceptable as formal business attire and what is generally not acceptable as formal business attire.

No dress code can cover all contingencies so employees must exert a certain amount of judgment in their choice of clothing to wear to work. If you experience uncertainty about acceptable, professional formal business attire for work, please ask your supervisor or your Human Resources staff.

Slacks, Pants, and Suit Pants

Slacks that are similar to Dockers and other makers of cotton or synthetic material pants, wool pants, flannel pants, pants that match a suit jacket, and nice looking dress synthetic pants are acceptable. Inappropriate slacks or pants include any that are too informal. This includes jeans, sweatpants, exercise pants, Bermuda shorts, short shorts, shorts, bib overalls, leggings, and any spandex or other form-fitting pants such as people wear for exercise or biking.

Skirts, Dresses, and Skirted Suits

Dresses, skirts, skirts with jackets, dressy two-piece knit suits or sets, and skirts that are split at or below the knee are acceptable. Dress and skirt length should be at a length at which you can sit comfortably in public. Short, tight skirts that ride halfway up the thigh are inappropriate for work. Mini-skirts, skorts, sun dresses, beach dresses, and spaghetti-strap dresses are inappropriate for the office.

Shirts, Tops, Blouses, and Jackets

Shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, tops, and turtlenecks are acceptable attire for work if they contribute to the appearance of formal, professional dress. Most suit jackets or sport coats are also desirable attire for the office. Inappropriate attire for work includes tank tops; midriff tops; shirts with potentially offensive words, terms, logos, pictures, cartoons, or slogans; halter-tops; tops with bare shoulders or plunging necklines; golf-type shirts; sweatshirts; and t-shirts.

Shoes and Footwear

Conservative walking shoes, dress shoes, oxfords, loafers, boots, flats, dress heels, and backless shoes are acceptable for work. Not wearing stockings or socks is inappropriate. Athletic shoes, tennis shoes, thongs, flip-flops, slippers, and any casual shoe with an open toe are not acceptable in the office.

Accessories and Jewelry

Tasteful, professional ties, scarves, belts, and jewelry are encouraged. Jewelry should be worn in good taste, with limited visible body piercing.

Makeup, Perfume, and Cologne

A professional appearance is encouraged and excessive makeup is unprofessional. Remember that some employees are allergic to the chemicals in perfumes and makeup, so wear these substances with restraint.

Hats and Head Covering

Hats are not appropriate in the office. Head Covers that are required for religious purposes or to honor cultural tradition are allowed.

Conclusion

If clothing fails to meet these standards, as determined by the employee’s supervisor and Human Resources staff, the employee will be asked not to wear the inappropriate item to work again. If the problem persists, the employee may be sent home to change clothes and will receive a verbal warning for the first offense. All other policies about personal time use will apply. Progressive disciplinary action will be applied if dress code violations continue.
Disclaimer:
This sample policy is provided for guidance only. The provided information, while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct.
http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/dress_formal.htm

Casual Dress Code

 

 

Your Company's objective in establishing a relaxed, casual, and informal work dress code is to enable our employees to work comfortably in the workplace. Yet, certain standards are established so employees are not confused about the meaning of the terms: relaxed, casual, and informal dress. Because no customers or clients are served in person at our company location, our chief concern is the comfort of our employees.

Casual Dress Code Guidelines

Because all casual clothing is not suitable for the office, these guidelines will help you determine what is appropriate to wear to work. Clothing that works well for the beach, yard work, dance clubs, exercise sessions, and sports contests may not be appropriate for a professional, casual appearance at work.

Clothing that reveals too much cleavage, your back, your chest, your stomach or your underwear is not appropriate for a place of business. In our work environment, clothing should be pressed and never wrinkled. Torn, dirty, or frayed clothing is unacceptable.

Casual Business Attire Recommendations

In a casual work setting, employees should wear clothing that is comfortable and practical for work, but not distracting or offensive to others. Any clothing that has words, terms, or pictures that may be offensive to other employees is unacceptable. Clothing that has the company logo is encouraged. Sports team, university, and fashion brand names on clothing are generally acceptable.

Makeup, Perfume, and Cologne

Remember that some employees are allergic to the chemicals in perfumes and makeup, so wear these substances with restraint.

Dress Code for Travel, Client Interaction, and Trade Shows

While the office setting can be casual because customers don't visit, traveling to see customers, exhibiting at or attending trade shows, and representing the company in the business community, requires different decisions about attire. Business casual dress is the minimum standard that must be observed when you are representing the company or interacting with customers or potential customers.
Before visiting a customer or potential customer ascertain the accepted dress code and match it in your attire. This is especially important when you are traveling globally representing the company as customs and dress may differ from those observed in the United States.
Additionally, some community events, when you are representing the company, might require formal dress. These might include Chamber of Commerce and other civic or business development meetings, luncheons, and dinners. Take your cue from other employees who have attended and be observant at the event. Certainly, if you are a speaker at a business event, consider wearing formal dress.
Finally, on the occasions when a customer or a business partner does visit the office, the employee groups with whom the visitor is interacting, should adhere to business casual standards.

Conclusion

No dress code can cover all contingencies so employees must exert a certain amount of judgment in their choice of clothing to wear to work. If you experience uncertainty about acceptable casual attire for work, please ask your supervisor or your Human Resources staff.
If clothing fails to meet these standards, as determined by the employee’s supervisor and Human Resources staff, the employee will be asked not to wear the inappropriate item to work again. If the problem persists, the employee may be sent home to change clothes and will receive a verbal warning for the first offense. All other policies about personal time use will apply. Progressive disciplinary action will be applied if dress code violations continue.
Disclaimer:
This sample policy is provided for guidance only. The provided information, while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct.
http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/dress_casual.htm?nl=1

Marketing Careers

Overview of Careers in Marketing

There are many options to careers in marketing, but how do you know which one is right for you? Marketing can be defined as being the intermediary function between product development and sales. Think of it as the storehouse for such things as advertising, public relations, media planning, sales strategy, and more. It's the marketing professionals job to create, manage, and enhance brands.

Careers in Advertising

In Advertising you will work with all aspects of marketing from strategy to concept to the execution of the strategy. You will find that most jobs on the business side of advertising include Account Management, Account Planners, and Media Buyers.

• Advertising Manager
• Advertising Sales Director
• Account Executive
• Account Coordinator

• Media Director
• Media Coordinator
• Media Buyer

Careers in Brand Management

Brand management is the career track you hear about most often. It is the key function in the consumer products industry. Brand managers are often likened to small business owners because they assume responsibility for a brand or brand family. They are always focused on the big picture. It is their job to distill the brand's essence, map out their competitors in their brand's category, identify marketing opportunities, and be able to effectively communicate the unique benefits of that product or service.

• Brand Manager
• Product Manager
• Product Development Manager

Careers in Market Research

Market Research involves researching the intended target. That target can be companies or individuals. In order for a company to capture a market it must first be able to understand that market. Research involves the first process of understanding the consumer, what their needs are, what their purchasing habits are, and how they view themselves in relation to the rest of the world.

• Market Research Director
• Market Research Manager
• Market Research Supervisor
• Market Analyst

Careers in Public Relations

It is the responsibility of the Public relations department to manage the communication with the media, consumers, employees, investors, and the general public. They are considered the spokespeople for the company. They will often write press releases to promote new products or to keep the investment community informed of business partnerships, financial results, or other company news. If they are based out of media relations they will spend their time responding to information requests from journalist or pitch stories to the media.

• Public Relations Specialist
• Public Relations Director
• Corporate Communications Manager
• Book Publicist
• Press Secretary

By Laura Lake

Online Marketing A Necessity Not Just An Option

It's no secret online marketing is becoming a more viable marketing method than that of traditional marketing, such as television, radio and print.
There are some businesses and industries that are familiar with internet and online marketing, but many businesses are finding themselves treading in new territory.
Online marketing encompasses the following:

• Website Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Affiliate and Strategic Partnership Marketing
• Content Marketing

Why has online marketing become the choice of many business? There are two main reasons. Online marketing is cost effective and provides real time tracking results. This allows businesses to make changes "on the fly." Businesses fall in love with the fact that they can change their marketing message, graphics, or your collection method immediately. Online marketing gives us the capability to track and change when necessary. This saves money and stretches our marketing budgets a little further.
If you are behind the eight ball when it comes to marketing using the internet, you want to make a determination on where to start. I never suggest that companies jump into all areas of internet marketing at one time. Do it incrementally so that you can measure what's working and what's not.
There are five methods to building an online marketing strategy that can work for you and help in strengthening your brand and increasing your bottom line revenue.
Method 1: You Need a Website
In my professional opinion every business needs a website. You want potential customers to find you when they search for you online. Having an online presence creates a level of credibility and trust, but only if it's done professionally and builds on the brand that you have built in the traditional marketing realm. You must have a place to send consumers to find out more about you and ultimately purchase your products or services to succeed in online marketing
Method 2: Your Customers Use Search Engines
Our society has coined the word "Googling", because we've all become accustomed to using Google to research and find the information that we need. Consumers go online to gain more information about the products and services that they interested in using. Will they find you? If you are not doing search engine marketing and optimization the unfortunate answers is probably not. Take a few minutes to do an online search on your brand, your product, your service and your name. Did you find your company listed anywhere? If you answered no, then you must understand that potential customers are not finding you either. This ultimately means you are missing out on sales opportunities and revenue. Can you afford that?
Method 3: Social is the Buzz
It's true social media marketing such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are the buzz today, but I do not think it's a fit for all companies. Let me explain why. Social media marketing is a fantastic way to interact and communicate with potential buyers. However, social media takes time and effort. If you are not willing to put in the time and by time I mean spending time on social media daily, then don't do it. Social media is not about just broadcasting, it is about engaging. You must invest at least 15 minutes in the morning and in the evening in order to see even a minimal amount of success using this online marketing method. Don't jump into social media without understanding how it works and the required investment of time and resources that is necessary. You can learn more about social media marketing by participating in the Social Media Marketing 7 Day Crash Course.
Method 4: Affiliate and Strategic Partnerships
Many companies have found success in affiliate marketing. This means that you pay a commission to affiliates and partners for selling your products and services. Affiliate marketing is a no-risk method of marketing and it has been around for many years. If you don't have the time to manage an affiliate marketing program you can hire outsource affiliate management companies that can help you in building a successful affiliate marketing program. I've always loves the affiliate marketing model because it's a win-win situation for both your business and your affiliate partners.
Method 5: Words are Worth Money - Content is Key
Content marketing is using relevant and valuable information to attract potential customers to you. This information will not only attract but, if done correctly, will engage your target audience and drive profitable action to your business. It also helps with search engine marketing and optimization. A successful content marketing strategy will deliver consistent valuable information to your target market, when this strategy works you turn the consumers you have targeted into buyers.
There are many components to marketing your business online, but you must decide which methods will work for your business and which ones you can invest the time in. It's important to create an online marketing strategy just like it's important to have a traditional marketing strategy. I can tell you with confidence that online marketing is not going to go away, so embrace the technology and determine what till work for you. Once you've done that implement, use analytics and make changes when necessary. You will soon find that online marketing brings you a much greater return on your marketing investment, because of its adaptability and changeability.

By Laura Lake

How to Post Jobs Online

Are you convinced that the Internet is the most useful tool for employers recruiting qualified employees? You should be. You can post jobs online and use the Web for recruiting. Even a job posting in the classified section of your local newspaper is likely to produce mostly electronic resumes and applications these days.

Easily customizable, free, and paperless, why wouldn’t prospective employees apply online? You can post jobs online and reap the benefit of the many potential employees searching online for jobs. Make the online world your recruiting partner; these are the best ways to post jobs and recruit online.

• Post jobs on your company or organization website. Place the link prominently on your home page. Your job posting will attract candidates who are interested in your mission and vision as well as your open jobs. Make the recruiting portion of your website communicate your company culture, the reasons why a prospective employee will want to choose your firm, and specific instructions about how to successfully apply for your posted jobs. Your company website is your most significant online recruiting tool. Recognize its power to attract superior employees.
  
  Your company website jobs are also featured on online job search sites. Indeed.com, for example, is a search engine for jobs that drives job searchers directly to jobs on corporate career websites, employee recruiting job boards, online newspapers, blogs, and association websites.
  
  Opportunities for employers to post jobs online at social media sites are also growing daily. Don't miss the opportunity to place your stake in the ground where active and passive job searchers mingle. (See below.)
• Recruit through online social media sites. As the power and reach of sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter expand, so does their facility as an online resource to recruit employees. Each offers employers methods to recruit and hire employees, but the true power of their reach may rest in your ability to tap into the power of your satisfied employees and their online networks.
  
  I have written about how to recruit employees using LinkedIn. I am bombarded daily with job postings on Twitter. And, Facebook is beginning to reach its potential for recruiting employees online. With an involved population that exceeds the number of people residing in the US, Facebook postings about jobs and products by employees and customers reach millions in employee online networks (friends) on Facebook.
• 
  
  Social Media Job Posting Opportunities Are Expanding: You can post jobs online at LinkedIn on your company page. Facebook also offers company pages where you can post jobs and focus on disseminating news about your company and your work environment. The apps available at Facebook, that automatically post jobs that are drawn from your website, increase daily. If you think you can't do it, look around you; you probably can. The innovations for employer job posting on social media sites are growing. Potential employees, who frequent these social media networks, can stay up-to-date on your job listings without ever leaving their favorite site. This is a key tool to attract employees who have identified your company as a place where they'd like to work.
  
  And, many additional social networking sites, based on causes, industries, interests, businesses, skill sets, and more, exist. Identify the social media and networking sites that cater to people in your industry, and that attract people with the skills you need, and participate. Each has its own protocals, which you can learn, to source great candidates online.
• Post jobs in the classified section of your local newspaper; the paper likely has an online partner. No, classified advertising in local newspapers is not dead. It has changed. Still an opportunity to fill many positions, especially local jobs requiring local candidates, your neighborhood newspaper recognizes the power and reach of the online world. When you purchase a classified ad, you automatically post the job online, at an often reasonable, additional cost. The Ann Arbor News, for example, has a cooperative online relationship with MLive – Everything Michigan.
  
  Additionally, many local newspapers and regional papers offer the opportunity to post jobs online for a local or regional audience without purchasing a print classified. The advantage to the online job posting is that space is not an issue - you don't pay by the column inch which allows you to fully describe the posted job opening. CareerBuilder.com powers the online job postings for more than 1,000 partners, including over 100 newspapers, America Online, and MSN.
• Post jobs on college and university boards that serve alumni. While these jobs are typically listed through the institution's main career services channel, the college may have special services for alumni job searchers and employer recruiters. Especially for jobs requiring degrees, you’ll locate qualified, often local, candidates. Almost all colleges and universities have some kind of career services office that allows you to post jobs online. They maintain contact with their alumni and are likely to assist alumni to job search over the course of their careers.
  
  Additionally, they may offer employer connection services that make recruiting their alums easier for employers. The institution from which you are recruiting, may also maintain an alumni LinkedIn group where you can post jobs for free.
  
  Focus your recruiting attention on colleges and universities that graduate candidates with the degrees and skills that your company needs. It may pay you back in excellent recruits to develop a relationship with the alumni career services staff.
• Post jobs through your local college or university student career center and maintain relationships with university departments that specialize in your needed skills. Many offer free job postings and feature local candidates, especially for beginning career positions and internships. Others have partnered with online services. You can focus on colleges and universities that offer degree programs that qualify their students for your available jobs. Or, focus on local campuses that have students who may want to remain in your area. Colleges are dedicated to helping their students obtain employment; often a deciding factor when students choose their college.
  
  Get to know and develop relationships with professors and others in the departments that graduate your desired candidates. Your insider relationships and information may allow you to attract the most desirable grads. They also assist you to land high quality interns - students who may eventually become your most treasured employees. And, you get to try them out before you purchase their long term services, an opportunity that savvy employers recognize is one of the key advantages of their internship programs.
• Use Job Search Engines to help job applicants notice your company and your online job postings. For example, Indeed.com offers opportunities for employers to pay to have their job listings stand out. Employers avoid the cost of posting jobs online on multiple sites that then must be monitored. Linkup indexes a company's website daily to offer applicants an opportunity to apply for your newest, often unadvertised jobs, directly through your company website. This enables employers to receive online job applications that meet your specific requirements.
  
  SimplyHired, the world's largest job search engine, lists employer jobs for free and offers a pay-per-click option that allows your jobs to stand out from the pack. Their relationships with all of the major social networking sites give your open jobs wide distribution.
  
  Stay in touch with the world of job search engines. New sites proliferate and, depending on your requirements, may help you meet your recruiting needs.
• Post jobs on commercial Job Boards such as Monster, CareerBuilder.com for general jobs, and CoolWorks.com for seasonal jobs. These job boards remain the big kahunas in the job search industry. While their massive reach will bring you quantities of resumes from unqualified candidates, the occasional applicant gem exists as well. (I once found a well-qualified CFO through Monster.com.) Because these job boards are known to all job searchers, and have a huge reach, they attract applications from most online job searchers.
  
  Their cited pricing is rarely the best price. Look for deals on the website or contact a sales agent. The sales agent will stay in touch with special offers for both posting jobs and searching the job site’s resume database. You can save hundreds of dollars over listed prices.
  
  More and more specialized job boards are entering the market. Depending on the qualifications required from the employees you seek, specialized job boards may be a better option for your online job posting than the big sisters in the online space. Specialized job sites, such as Dice.com, target key employee skill sets or areas of expertise such as technology that your company may need. You may decrease the spam of hundreds of unqualified resumes in your inbox using more specialized job sites.
• Post jobs online at sites that provide employer-employee matching services and other services that employers may use to target specific candidates, and avoid the masses. Especially as online job searching becomes more sophisticated, employers find themselves dealing with hundreds of resumes from applicants for any desirable job. Employers can wade through the deluge by using online job sites that do the sifting for you. On a site, such as Realmatch.com, employers can post a job and reach 37 million candidates from over 1200 job sites. The special twist? The site matches the job posting to candidate credentials. The subsequent graded and ranked list of candidates saves employers time and energy. The employer pays only for the candidates they select to contact.
  
  The number and types of these sites, that provide additional services for employers, to enable them to easily identify qualified candidates, will grow. More and more specific, targeted services are required by employers who want to cut through the noise of online recruiting and job searching.
• Post jobs at professional association websites. The job postings are often low cost or free, especially for members. Your local chapters are almost all online and local candidates will view your job posting at the local association site before they will see it at the national website. Make spending decisions based on this recommendation. In the same vein, post jobs in industry-related or industry-serving online or email newsletters. The candidates you attract will generally have experience in your industry, but may be national and look for relocation expenses paid. Depending upon the ability of your region to attract job searchers, this may or may not be a good strategy for you.
• Post jobs with your state Workforce Development organization, through your state department of labor. They appreciate employer job postings. Click on the map to select a state or choose from the list for the Department of Labor/Employment Security Commission/Job Service Office in your state at About.com's Job Searching site. In Michigan, employers can post jobs with the Michigan Talent Bank through Michigan Works. You'll find multiple options for both posting jobs online and recruiting candidates.

• Post jobs on discussion boards that allow posting jobs online. The forum associated with this site allows you to post jobs in a special jobs folder, for example.
• Post jobs and job descriptions in emailed messages to business associates and colleagues. Seek candidates for your jobs. Referrals from people you know are usually good candidates because someone you know is vouching for them. Many employers maintain customized lists of personal and professional contacts, and when they have a job available for which they seek referrals, they contact their mailing list members.

Looking to the Future: Recruiting and Job Posting Online

Options for online job posting and recruiting change daily. Just researching and staying on top of employer options during the past five years has been a daunting task as the online recruiting world changes daily. I expect that online recruiting options will continue to multiply as opportunities to match employers with superior candidates is a never ending quest.

Stay in touch with innovations in recruiting online by subscribing to the HR site's newsletter. The thrice weekly email helps employers maintain their edge in management development and in recruiting, retaining, and managing employees.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/careerandjobsearchhelp/a/post_jobs.htm

Organizational Chart

An organizational chart is a visual communication tool. The organizational chart allows employees and other stakeholders to see employee job titles and the reporting relationships in an organization. The organizational chart is a reflection of your organization’s culture.
The organizational chart usually portrays the organization’s structure using boxes and vertical and horizontal lines to connect the boxes. The vertical lines demonstrate the reporting relationships of supervisors and their reporting staff. The lateral or horizontal lines indicate a working relationship. A dotted or broken line indicates a strong working relationship with an employee who may supervise your work or projects. But, the employee is not your boss.

Use of Organizational Charts

Organizational charts are used for:

• organizational and supervisory communication,
• workforce planning,
• departmental or team planning,
• resource planning,
• change management,
• organizational restructuring or redesign, and
• job analysis.

Types of Organizational Charts

If you look at an organizational chart and find rows of vertical boxes with few relationship lines extending from the boxes, the organization is probably hierarchical. The boxes on an organizational chart for a flat organization have a more horizontal relationship. In a team-based, empowering organization, each supervisor has many reporting staff members.
The team-based organizational chart may focus on the relationship between teams to illustrate the interlinking of people and teams. A matrix organizational chart is difficult to make because of the number of interconnected employees and teams. The matrix organizational chart I have seen most frequently has products listed in the left hand column, teams (or functions) listed horizontally, and lines and dotted lines demonstrate the relationships.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryo/g/org_chart.htm

Design Employee Work Schedules for Flexibility and Success

Employees' work schedules vary from full time to part time to job shares. All work schedules have one thing in common; the employee is doing work required by an employer. Today's employers understand that flexibility is what employees require in their work schedules. If they don't, employers should beware. You'll lose your best employees to an employer who understands that flexibility in work schedules is the upcoming employees' number one most desired employment perk. Make sure your approach to employee work schedules motivates and retains your best employees.

1. Work With a Flexible Schedule

John Howard / Getty Images

A flexible schedule allows an employee to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time. An appreciated benefit, flexible work schedules allow employees to maintain work and life balance. Different flexible work schedules suit different employees' busy lives. But, any employer flexibility in work schedules helps you motivate and retain your best employees.

2. Telecommuting

Copyright Marili Forastieri / Getty Images

Telecommuting or working from home is a flexible work arrangement that enables an employee, a consultant, or a contractor, to work distantly from the employer's location all or part of the time. Telecommuting is also an option for bad weather days and days that require an adult present in the home for events such as furniture delivery, furnace cleaning, and mid-day doctor appointments. Some organizations allow regular telecommuting up to several days a week for most employees. Others decide who can use a telecommuting work schedule on a case by case basis.

3. Share a Job

Getty Images / Manchan

A job share occurs when two employees cooperatively share the same job. There are advantages, disadvantages, challenges, and opportunities when employees job share. As an employer, a job share can benefit both the employee and you. Here are the advantages and disadvantages to a job share.

4. Work Alternative Shifts

Image Copyright Zsolt Nyulaszi

Shift work occurs in a work schedule that utilizes 24 hours a day and occasionally, 7 days a week, to keep an organization operating. Shift work occurs whenever 24 hour coverage is necessary or when a 24 hour day optimizes work output and productivity. Many approaches to shift work exist and each shift work schedule has challenges. But, some employees like a non-day shift work schedule. Families may want to avoid child care expenses with parents working different shifts. Some employees work two jobs or run a part-time enterprise from home. Whatever the reason a shift work schedule accommodates some employee needs.

5. Work as a Temporary Employee

Copyright Paul Burns / Getty Images

Temporary employees are hired to assist employers to meet business demands yet allow the employer to avoid the cost of hiring a regular employee. Sometimes, it is the expectation of the employer that if the temporary employee is successful, the temporary employee will be hired. But a temporary work schedule is a lifestyle choice for many employees. Maybe you're an executive not quite ready to retire but you don't want an 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. commitment at the same employer everyday - so you temp. Perhaps your heart is in skiing and the ski resorts call to you every winter. In the snowless season, you work on an island or at a warm weather resort. Reasons for a temporary work schedule are often choices.

6. Part Time Employee

Copyright Jack Hollingsworth / Getty Images

A part time employee has traditionally worked less than a 40 hour work week. Today, though, some employers count employees as full time if they work 30, 32, or 36 hours a week. In fact, fewer required work hours is considered a non-standard benefit in some organizations. Consequently, the definition of part time employee will vary from organization to organization. But, a part time work schedule affords some employees terrific flexibility. For some employees part time is the work schedule of choice.

7. Full Time Employee

Copyright Peter Chen

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full time employee or part time employee. What is counted as a full time employee is generally defined by the employer by policy. The definition of a full time employee is often published in the employee handbook. Some people just want to be 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. full time employees - trust me - really

http://humanresources.about.com/od/recruitingandstaffing/tp/work_schedules.htm

Sample Human Resources Assistant Job Description

Development of the Human Resources Department

• Administers programs, procedures, and guidelines to help align the workforce with the strategic goals of the company.
• Participates in developing department goals, objectives, and systems.
Assists with the tracking of departmental and company measurements that support the accomplishment of the company�s strategic goals.
• Prepares and maintains reports that are necessary to carry out the functions of the Human Resources department. Prepares periodic reports for management, as necessary or requested.
• Participates in administrative staff meetings and attends other meetings and seminars as necessary and to represent the department.

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)

• Maintains the HRIS database and generates scheduled or requested reports to assist management.
• Updates employee phone directory and company organization chart. Maintains a database of employee contact information.
• Periodically audits the database to ensure accuracy.
• Assists in the development and updating of the Human Resources section of the Web site.
• Keeps employee records up-to-date by processing employee status changes in a timely manner.
• Maintains personnel files in compliance with applicable legal requirements.

Benefits Administration

• Conducts benefit orientations and other benefit training, as needed.
• Processes enrollments, changes, and terminations of participants in all benefit plans and programs.
• Reconciles monthly billing statements against payroll deductions.
• Assists employees with any benefit claim issues or concerns.
• Administers the day-to-day transactions of the 401(k) plan and processes employee loans and applications.

Training and Development

• Schedules participants into training sessions.
• Tracks participants and training records.
• Enters training records into database and maintains it.
• Tracks the implementation of the employee performance development plans (PDPs).
• Tracks the accomplishment of PDP goals.

Employment

• Advertises employee job openings first, internally, and then, externally, in keeping with company recruitment policies. Manages the logistics of the recruiting process.
• Writes newspaper classified ads and posts ads on the Internet in places appropriate to the open position including job boards, college career services offices, professional associations, and on the company's Web site.
• Sorts and reviews resumes as they arrive on a daily basis. Manages the flow of paper applications and manages the recruiting email box. Provides a first review of resumes. Maintains a filing system that retains qualified applications for one year.
• Schedules interviews for the hiring manager and Human Resources. Schedules additional interviews as needed.
• Mails out the candidate offer letter packet as requested and tracks return.
• Makes sure that the work space, computer and other equipment, mailbox, and appropriate installed software are ready for the new employee's start day.
• Conducts new-employee orientation.
• Prepares paperwork required for new hires and establishes personnel file.
• Assists the plant and front office with temporary staffing needs by contacting and working with the Temporary Staffing Agency.
• Conducts temporary employee orientation, creates time badges, and tracks current temporary employees' attendance.
• Faxes time sheets to Temporary Staffing Agency weekly for payroll processing.

Employee Relations

• Assists in the development and implementation of an employee handbook and new personnel policies and procedures.
• Files all compliance reports with the state and federal government including EEO-1 report.
• Assists with the implementation and tracking of company safety and health programs.

Compensation

• Is trained in and regularly practices backing up accounting and payroll.
• Participates in at least one salary survey per year.

Organization Development

• Participates on various committees to provide HR support and to monitor activities and completion of goals.

Executive Administration

• Sorts mail and faxes; distributes to employee mailboxes.
• Assists with Board of Directors meetings: creates board packets, meets and greets arriving board members, orders lunches, makes reservations.
• Consolidates and emails out weekly management reports to managers.
• Coordinates executive travel plans and other arrangements as needed.
• Orders flowers and cards for employees for events such as illness, death in family, birth, graduation, and so on.
• Obtains VISAs and passports for employees needing to travel abroad.

Additional

• Assumes other duties as assigned by the HR Director or the CEO.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/jobdescriptions/a/HR_assistant_2.htm

Employment Agencies

If you are short on time or want the opinion of a trained employment expert before offering a job to someone, an employment agency may be a good fit for you. There are other benefits, most notably the fact that prospective employees have been prescreened and tested for job skills. In addition, they have had their references checked before walking through your door. Once you have worked with an agency to place an employee, they will know enough about your business and the kind of work you do to find people for you quickly.
Most agencies offer a temp-to-hire option. This means that for a designated time, the employee is a staff member of the agency, but physically works at your location performing tasks that you assign. The benefit of this is that you can gauge the person's performance, work ethics, and dependability before making a job offer. Just because someone interviews well doesn't mean that he is a good fit for the job.
Temp-to-hire workers receive their paychecks from the agency and your company pays the agency for this service. They are employees of the employment agency, not your company. Generally, you pay the agency a per-hour rate for the worker. In return, the agency pays the employee a lower per-hour rate. The difference in the two rates covers employer taxes, workers' compensation insurance, benefits, and a service fee to the agency.

Fees paid to employment agencies can be costly. Most guarantee the placement of the people they represent. In this case, if you hire someone from an employment agency and the person doesn't work out within a designated period, the agency will find you a replacement.

Business owners who are fans of employment agencies appreciate the quick accessibility to a pool of qualified job candidates ready to be interviewed. The time saved by not having to place employment ads and check references is a benefit. Take the amount of money you would have spent placing an employment ad and consider the value of your time spent in the recruitment efforts. Calculate this into the expense an agency charges and you may see that it is money well spent.

http://www.netplaces.com/human-resource-management/finding-the-best-applicants/employment-agencies.htm

Career Fairs

Whether it's called a career fair, employment expo, or job extravaganza, this is a resource that offers a good value for the dollar. Career fairs are usually sponsored by a school or university, government entity, or local chamber of commerce. Conduct a Google search to find the next one in your area. Early spring and late summer are popular seasons for job expos, when people are looking for employment after graduating or relocating. If you are hiring for a position that requires a college degree, attending an event at a university is your best bet. There isn't a better place to find a large room filled with college graduates eager and ready to work.

A career fair may focus on a specific discipline such as food and beverage, construction, or positions that require college degrees. Make sure that the theme of the event is consistent with your needs. Most fairs cater to an array of positions, but if it's not clear in the advertising, ask.

There are several benefits to these events. You are able to meet job seekers in person immediately, thus eliminating instances of someone who is impressive on paper but disappoints you when you call them in for an interview. Also, recruitment efforts can be accomplished in one day instead of sporadically over the course of a week. You'll be able to talk to job candidates away from the workplace and the distractions that go along with it. You may also meet other business owners in the community and share your recruitment ideas.

What to Bring

When you sign up to participate in a job fair, you should be told whether or not tables and chairs will be provided. If you are planning to have brief interviews, it's best if both you and the applicant are seated, but if you'll simply be manning a booth, it's most courteous if you stand. Wear comfortable shoes, especially if the ground is concrete. Here is a list of supplies that are handy to have at a job fair:

• Employment applications
• Tablecloths
• Stapler or paperclips
• Pens
• Flyers about the company
• Business cards
• Sign-in sheets
• Notepads

Some people may want to take an application home and drop it off or mail it the next day, so provide the company address on your flyers or bring a stack of business cards. Use the stapler or paperclips to attach resumes to applications. If you plan to conduct interviews, have a sign-in sheet available so that you can greet people on a first-come first-served basis, and use your notepad to take notes. Look ahead to Chapter 2 for a list of questions that you may not ask during an interview.
You can stay a step ahead of the other exhibitors and purchase a banner to hang from the front of your table. Keep it generic, with your company name and logo, so you can use it for other occasions, too. Many office supply stores sell customized banners or you can do an Internet search for companies and local print shops that specialize in these products.

Bring someone with you to help at the job fair. If the person you bring is a current employee, he is to be paid his normal wages for his time, or overtime if it applies. Ask him to take a walk around and look at the other tables for creative ideas for your next job fair.

Allow yourself ample time to set up your area prior to the start of the fair. For your comfort, bring some drinking water and inquire if there will be options for purchasing lunch. If you will be alone, bring a “Will Return at __” sign to place on the table when you leave for a break or lunch. If you brought a laptop computer or any other valuables, take them with you anytime you leave your assigned area.
It is a nice touch to provide a bowl of candy, tray of cookies, or attention-grabbing tokens to give away at your table. You can find inexpensive doodads by visiting www.orientaltrading.com. Seasonal items and pens go over well with an adult crowd.

People Watching

The environment at a career expo is usually casual and it's a great way to observe applicants when they are likely to let their guard down and be themselves. Once someone is comfortable at work, this is what you get, and it's good to see it before the hiring is done. Look for people who are courteous, respectful, and mature. If you are seeking “front line” employees — those who will have direct contact with your customers — look for people who appear to be friendly and approachable. If they'll be working in the back of the house, these issues aren't as important.
Although the atmosphere at these events can be somewhat relaxed, attendees should still take the experience seriously. Proper job-searching attire is expected, cell phones should be turned off, and this is not the time to be socializing with friends and family members. Beware of recent high school graduates who are being led by a parent or a person being pressured by their spouse; a job applicant who isn't there of her own free will is unlikely to be an enthusiastic employee.

Have Your Own Job Fair

You may also plan your own job fair. Schedule a few employees to answer questions about the positions that are available and pass out applications. You can briefly interview attendees while they are there, then follow up at a later date with more in-depth interviews with the candidates who may be a good fit for the job.

http://www.netplaces.com/human-resource-management/finding-the-best-applicants/career-fairs.htm