?? Find Local Networking Events Quickly Using These Handy Tools

?? Find Local Networking Events Quickly Using These Handy Tools 374 How to find upcoming free and paid local networking events nearby. Photo by Abdullah Ögük Local social networking events are great for: learning of new job opportunities and sharing some with others practicing your elevator pitch and learning from others' handing out business cards and receiving others (you know that job seekers need business cards, right?) And more. Plus, you get these benefits even if the event isn't industry-related, or even if it's not technically called a “networking event” at all. Here are websites that you can use to find local job fairs, networking groups, industry events or any other kind of event that can help your job search.eval Have you been to a local networking event in the past month? Yes No View Results 20 Websites For Finding A Local Networking Event Near You 1. Google eval You can often find local networking groups and events by simply googling: “[where you live] business networking” “[where you live] networking events” “[where you live] social network” “networking events near me” Or trying the same on another search engine. In fact, try at least one other search engine such as Bing or Duck Duck Go (the best search engine you've never heard of). 2. Facebook Go to the events page to see if you've been invited to an upcoming event. Use the Search box to look for events directly. Ask your friends, or even ask other people by posting a question on the Wall of a relevant Fan page. 3. Twitter Use Twitter Advanced Search. Take advantage of the (albeit not great) “Near this place” filtering by area. You can also try searching by hashtag, since many events now have a dedicated one. Even better, search on the word “event” with a hashtag for the place name e.g. #NewYork or #Jerusalem. 4. Craigslist Choose the location you want to search in the right-hand column and then use the search box located in the left-hand column. 5. Yelp In the right-hand search box, type in the location where you're hoping to find events. In the left-hand search box, type what kind of event (e.g. job fair) you're looking for, or just leave blank to see what comes up. 6. Eventbrite The homepage will suggest local events if it can tell where you are (it thinks I'm in San Francisco but this is probably just by default). Your best bet, especially if you don't want to create an account, is to click on the Find Events tab and search there. 7. Meetup Once you sign up and tell Meetup where you are, the Find page will suggest Groups or Meetups (events) near you, or you can manually search for events that interest you anywhere else. 8. LinkedIn LinkedIn launched its new Events recently, and its functionality is very basic initially. I'm surprised they took so long to add this ability to the site. The organizer of a LinkedIn Event plays the role of the event’s host. As an organizer, you are responsible for setting the agenda for the event, deciding logistics, inviting attendees, and updating the event group. You can organize events based on your audience, or the event’s content. But while it's easy to create an event, it's not easy to invite large numbers of people right now, and it's also not easy to find events unless you were invited. Stay tuned, because they'll definitely add features soon. 9. Sofi SoFi is a new kind of finance company taking a radical approach to lending and wealth management, and their events are “happy hours, educational events and member dinners happening in your neighborhood.” (USA-only) 10. Eventful Type [your city] in the Location box and in the next search box. You can use the Advanced Search to refine dates or search on venues, which is handy if you live e.g. near a convention center. 11. EventZilla EventZilla creates products for managing events, and their site also has a list of upcoming events run by their customers. Personal Networking Expert Michael Goldberg at TEDxMillRiver What's the difference between serendipitous networking vs strategic networking? Some great stories and more… 12. 4Networking The Find a Business Networking Meeting page lists what's coming up. Very UK-oriented. 13. Eventil Events for Tech People. Find talent at technical events anywhere in the world. 14. PaperCrowd Find Research and Academic Conferences. 15. Colloq Discover Upcoming Events. Find and attend events or discover the media coverage of past events. 16. Network Nite Simply select your city, choose the event you wish to attend and purchase your tickets online. Any questions, concerns or advice can be called upon anytime simply by e-mailing Info@NetworkNite.com 17. Up Social Network Texas only, mainly near Houston. Click on Events in the navigation menu to see upcoming events. 18. Lean In Circles A Circle can be a monthly roundtable at your home, a brown-bag lunch series at work, or even a virtual meet-up with people from around the world. The important thing is that you get together regularlyâ€"and that everyone participates. Your Circle can also join up with other Circles and create a Chapter that hosts events and supports networking. 19. Simply Networking Click on the Event Types or Future Events tab to see upcoming business networking events around the UK. 20. Find Networking Events UK-only. Search events by clicking the Events by Region, Events by Town/City, or Events for Women tab. Question of the article What's your favorite website for looking up business or job networking events? Tell us in the comments. What others are saying 5 Types of Networking Events Actually Worth Your Time Why networking events are a waste of time, and what to do instead (tldr: go to other kinds of events that aren't officially defined as networking events) Don't Go To Networking Events â€" Go To These Instead How to Find Networking Events Actually Worth Attending READ NEXT: 15 Conversation Starters That Make Networking Events Great

5 More Personal Branding Trends For 2012 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 More Personal Branding Trends For 2012 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The new year is finally here, and it’s a perfect time for job seekers to revamp their personal brands! Resolutions aside (though those are important, too), every personal brander should be aware of the direction personal branding is headed in 2012. Some trends are evergreen and some are just emerging, but take note for your personal branding efforts in the new year. Trend 1: online is expected Establishing your personal brand online is nothing new it’s essential to any personal branding effort. But, in 2012 more than in the past, being online and on social networks won’t make you necessarily “stand out” from the crowd. Being social online is now expected it’s no longer out of the ordinary for people (especially job candidates) to be on social media. This means you need to take your online personal brand to the next level to ensure you really stand out; engage with your audience and try something different to gain attention. Trend 2: online is changing Online is not only expected, it’s changing. New types of social media emerge constantly. In some cases, an old social media may be revived; Specific Media’s acquisition of Myspace in 2011 has led to a reinvention of the site, one that may or may not catch on with users. Google+ is gaining traction, too; with more businesses and individuals creating brand pages, this site could very well be the future of networking and personal branding. Don’t understimate the power of a “+1” on your content! Sean Parker, creator of Napster and well-known entrepreneur, is set to launch his new product AirTime, a video chatting service that may be a competitor to Skype and Google+ Hangouts. New forms (and revivals of old forms) of social media will likely change the personal branding landscape in 2012. Trend 3: interactivity is essential Going along with trend one, personal branders need to go above and beyond simply having a social network. Go beyond what your ?audience expects, and really create an interactive brand. Don’t just follow on Twitter or “friend” on Facebook or connect on LinkedIn, but interact with your network and, most of all, invite interaction. Ask questions to your audience and encourage them to converse with you. Establish a dialogue with your followers. Besides just tweeting or Facebooking, go beyond words and make your personal brand interactive using videos and pictures. Give your audience a round, multi-dimensional view of you as a person to encourage interaction. Trend 4: create value for your public Your personal brand isn’t worth much if your public, whoever it may be, doesn’t find any value in what you offer. Create this value for your audience by creating content blogs, e-books, videos, etc. Content is king, as they say, and in 2012 it will be more important than ever to establish your brand by creating unique content that not only entertains and informs but provides value for your public. With the rise of smartphones and tablets, your audience can access your content on-the-go with simply a touch the key is to make them want to, by producing something valuable. Trend 5: your brand doesn’t sleep Busy people need sleep, but busy brands don’t! Building and promoting your personal brand is becoming more continuous than ever again, thanks to the rise of smartphones, tablets, and the up-and-coming 4G world. Business doesn’t stop because you do, so keep this in mind while building your brand in 2012. Use tools such as TweetDeck and HootSuite to manage your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, WordPress, Foursquare, and other social media profiles. You can schedule tweets, status updates, blog content, and more to be posted even while you’re not online. Another tool, SocialOomph, allows users to schedule blogs for WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and more to be posted at a future time. While these tools aren’t new, the need for them is ever-increasing in the rapidly moving business world. Stay on top of news, on top of trends, and on top of you brand to keep yourself current in the ever-changing media landscape of the future. What are your predictions for where personal branding is heading in 2012? Share them below! Author: ?Heather R. Huhman  is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of  Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of  Lies, Damned Lies Internships  (2011),  #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle  (2010), and writes career and recruiting advice for  numerous outlets.

A Secret Personal Branding Tip For MyBlogLog - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

A Secret Personal Branding Tip For MyBlogLog - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career One of the social networks that I feel is very underutilized and spoken for is MyBlogLog. Ive been a fan of this network since I started out in the blogosphere back in 2006.     MyBlogLog was acquired by Yahoo! Inc. and it allows you to create a profile, join communities (blogs), share your social feed (much like FriendFeed), and have your avatar appear when you go to a blog that uses a MyBlogLog widget.   From a personal branding perspective, its an extremely powerful social network because you get to see what your readers look like, which establishes more of an emotional connection. Stand out with MyBlogLog Im not Indiana Jones or Sherlock Holmes by any means, but if you look at the picture to the right (at the top right hand corner), youll see something very interesting.   There is an avatar of a man named Robert Saric with a white border around it.   This is pure genius if you think about it.   Ive actually never seen this done before, but what it does is allow Robert to stand out amongst all of my visitors (20) and for it to catch my eye and write about it. With millions of people on this social network, this is certainly the ultimate way to stand out, especially because your avatar is your personal ID in MyBlogLog.   Its like your passport when you travel from blog to blog. Now that you know of this secret strategy (you can use a photoshop program to create the border around your picture), not only will Robert hate me for writing this, but if everyone ends up doing this, well go back to no one standing out again! Other MyBlogLog tips 1.   Get a MyBlogLog widget for your blog right now.   You can customize it if youre using a self-hosted version of WordPress by going here. 2.   Join communities where you share common interests.   Communities on MyBlogLog are blogs of people you may know or not know.   By joining them, you can network with other bloggers who may help promote your message down the road.   Its one more thing you would have in common with them. 3.   Pick an avatar that is consistent with the avatar you use on other social networks, such as Twitter.   The avatar has to best represent you and cannot be a picture of a make-believe character or cartoon. 4.   Add people to your community. If you want to grow your blog network, then click on the profiles of those who visit your blog on your MyBlogLog widget and add them.   This is a good technique to keep in touch with your readers. 5.   Use tags so that people know to go to you for specific resources.   I use marketing, personal branding and web 2.0. 6.   Fill out your profile completely just like you would do on other social networks. 7.   Add your social network accounts to your feed, such as Twitter or Delicious.     Its an automatic feed, meaning that you dont have to keep posting content, yet reap the benefit of being an active contributor to the conversation. Feel free to join my community on MyBlogLog ??

Graduating and dont have a career plan Been there, done that. University of Manchester Careers Blog

Graduating and don’t have a career plan Been there, done that. University of Manchester Careers Blog In fact, it’s been five years since I graduated and I still don’t have one of those magical things called a “career plan”. Coming from someone who works for The Careers Service, that might surprise you. Back when I graduated, my lack of masterplan was something that filled me with panic. I nearly started down several different routes, from trying desperately to get some work experience in a prison so that I could set off on the long and difficult path to becoming a Forensic Psychologist, to nearly accepting a position as a carer in a dementia centre. But it didnt work out that way, and now Im much more comfortable with the fact that I don’t have a specific career plan or end goal that Im working towards. Meeting a retro celebrity in a previous role Having a career plan is not the same as having a career â€" I have led an interesting and successful career so far. In my five year career, Ive worked in three different roles at the BBC and two roles for The University of Manchester, from audience research to marketing and communications. Each role has built on the last, so while Ive not followed a ‘conventional’ career path so far, Ive definitely developed as Ive gone along. So as Im sure many of you are leaving university worried about what your future holds, feeling like your friends and classmates have everything mapped out and you’re being left behind, I thought I’d share my experience and let you know why Im perfectly happy to do things this way. Ive  been able to take different opportunities that I  wouldnt  have considered otherwise.  In one job, I wrote lines for the people that announce the beginning of programmes on TV. Did you know that job existed? I didnt, and it’s a great one to drop in to interviews for my ‘written and verbal communication skills’. Im  slowly building up a picture of who I am and what I really, really enjoy doing. Like many students, I was easily influenced by those around me and felt that I should have the same interests and goals as them. Through my different jobs Ive learnt that I don’t have to like / be good at everything, which helps to narrow things down in the job search process. My network is ever-expanding, which can only open the doors to further opportunities. I now know people that work for loads of different companies across the UK and beyond. And if I ever want to go back a step, or apply for a job elsewhere, I have contacts that could help me to get there. While Im sure this all sounds lovely, it’s important to stress that my unplanned career lifestyle isnt for everyone. Ive been lucky so far, but there have been stressful times when the end of one contract is in sight and Ive not got my next move lined up. Sometimes you can make a move and regret it… If you are the sort of person who doesnt like risks, or you can’t cope with the feeling of making the wrong decision on occasion, this approach probably isnt for you. Instead, I look at “bad moves” as almost as important as the good ones â€" theyve all helped to determine what I want, built up my skills and developed my resilience. Additionally, if you have a clear vocation in mind and a career goal that you want to achieve, and you’re happy with that, my approach probably isnt for you either. This will require more planning, with milestones or targets to achieve. So what are my tips if you are graduating now and don’t have a career plan? Find your starting point. While you don’t need to have an end goal in mind, you have to start somewhere. Start by looking at your skills and what youve enjoyed doing at uni, and explore the options that might fit your interests. Always be on the lookout for opportunities. Whether it’s in work or in your personal time, you never know where something will lead or where an experience will come in handy. Leave each role on good terms. When moving on from one job to the next, don’t leave a bad taste behind. You enjoyed the job, but you’re ready for a new challenge. That way, you won’t burn any bridges and may be able to return if you decide that’s the place for you. Be selective. This is hard when you’re panicking about your next step, but I have fallen victim to applying for too many jobs in the past â€" it doesnt work. If you have a suspicion that the job isnt for you but you need the money so apply anyway, it will come through in your application or interview and you probably won’t get the job. Save time and energy by focusing on the jobs that you really want. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. When you change roles, you are not expected to be perfect straight away. Remember that everyone takes a bit of time to learn the ropes; don’t let it affect your confidence. Instead, focus on what you’re learning and how you’re getting better. Don’t get freaked out by other people’s opinions of what you should be doing. Just because your granddad worked for the same company for 40 years, doesnt mean you have to. Overall, my recommendation if you’re in this position is to relax a bit and enjoy the opportunities that come your way. Don’t get stressed about finding your dream job straight away â€" how are you supposed to know what your “dream job” is, anyway? And talk to people, whether it’s friends, family, or The Careers Service. We are always available to give you some ideas, some pointers to get started, or even just listen to you talk about what you do / do not want to do in the future. It can really help! Best of luck! All Careers advice Graduate Graduate jobs I don't know what to do Undergraduate career planning

Job Hunting Guide for Introverts How to Get the Best Job for You CareerMetis.com

Job Hunting Guide for Introverts How to Get the Best Job for You â€" CareerMetis.com Being an introvert can make your life unfairly complicated when you leave the relatively sheltered environment of school/college and start searching for work. The world might get overwhelming at that time. However, you can make the job hunting process more manageable if you go about it correctly.First of all, you need to understand that introverts are exceptionally good at business if they choose the type of work that suits their temperament Once you decide which of these professions is best for you, move in for the kill with a great resume and be prepared for an interview.How to Find a Perfect job for an Introvert Step-by-Step1. Choose a profession where you can excelevalIntroverts work best when alone, but this doesn’t mean that you cannot function with a team. You need to interact with them for limited periods and in a controlled setting. However, if you are at your most productive when working alone, go for one of the following professions or their variations:BloggingEditing As the New Grad’s Ultimate Guide to Finding a Job tells you, a resume is one of the main factors that determine if you get the job or not. Creating a resume that will make an impression right from the start is essential to up your chances of getting hired. HubSpot says that you only have 6 seconds to get the recruiter interested, so all the ‘juiciest’ parts must be at the beginning of the document.Start with a resume objective that clearly shows that you are a perfect fit for this role. As you don’t have much experience yet, you should focus on your skills. List the qualities that are relevant for succeeding in business as a whole, like time management and problem-solving. To see more examples of skills that can help you impress a prospective employer.Augment your resume with a package of thoughtful materials that prove your particular skills. An introvert’s brain is capable of deliberate and detailed situation analysis, which allows you to see the problem from different ang les and come up with a comprehensive solution.Apply this innate ability when developing your cover letters and portfolios. Be thorough in illustrating each of your skills. This will make the application, as a whole, look more professional, which can make up for your lack of experience.4) Prepare for an interview in advanceevalNote that as an introvert, preparing for an interview goes deeper than looking up most common questions employers ask. People with this personality type often struggle with adapting to new circumstances and social situations in general. However, you need to show that you are capable of being professional even if you don’t feel entirely comfortable.This means you need to coach yourself and run ‘simulations’ in your head or with the help of friends where the flow of the interview gets derailed. This way, you will be able to react better if it doesn’t go the way you expect.You also need to practice small talk. Most importantly, you should prepare a few ‘ casual’ questions of your own, so you can support chit-chat if the situation calls for it.Also, do your best to match the interviewer’s tone. This will help you look more involved, which matters because introverts tend to come off as bored or distant when nervous.And finally, mention that you are an introvert. Be open from the start, so your prospective boss knows exactly what kind of treasure you are.

6 Ways To Accomplish Your Goals More Easily

6 Ways To Accomplish Your Goals More Easily How is your New Year going? Have you already started taking the steps that you wanted to take? Or maybe you’re just gearing up for a positive set of steps ahead. Well, either way, I want to share with you six ideas that can help you get going and keep going, so that you can have that awesome year we’ve been talking about. Remember, it’s all about taking action because without action nothing happens. 1. Start with small steps This means chunking down your bigger goals into something manageable and bite-sized. I think of it like having a big bucket of popcorn. You don’t just inhale the whole bucketful at once; that’s impossible. You eat a few kernels, or a handful at the most, at a time. As an example, your big bucket of popcorn equivalent might be putting yourself in a position to be promoted this year. That’s a big goal; it takes time. If you chunk it down, your pieces of popcorn might be things like: Identify the criteria for promotion Figure out who is on the promotion committee, or who decides Find out who influences those people, and what they care about Find out what opportunities you want to set yourself up for so that you can demonstrate that you’ve got what it takes 2. Choose ‘linch pin’ steps This simply means, choose steps that are going to unlock everything else for you if you do those first, and they may not be the obvious step. So for example, if you wanted to get fit this year and that was your big goal, but you feel so tired that you just can’t even imagine getting exercise or going to the gym. Well, then maybe your linch pin step is to make sure you get enough sleep for a good two or three weeks. Then you feel rested enough to actually have the energy to go and do that fitness routine, or join a gym or whatever it might be. 3. Set yourself up for some early wins When you’ve got big important goals, it’s really important to have some quick and early wins that you can point to so that you can feel good about yourself, and so that you’re going to want to keep going. 4. Have a ‘buddy system’ That can mean doing what you’re doing, and taking the action along with somebody. So maybe you’ve decided to get fit and you’re signing up for a marathon or a triathlon, then get somebody else to sign up with you and you can train together. Or maybe it’s somebody to encourage you. I think of this great trainer I’ve had named Angel. I can still hear Angel saying to me, as I’m doing my 50th sit up in a row, “May, you can do it, you are doing it!” I can still hear it. It was so encouraging, I just kept going. Or maybe it’s just somebody who can help keep you accountable. In any case, finding that buddy system is really helpful. 5. Set your intention Set your intention for the actions you want to take so that you can stay on course. Do that first thing in the morning before other people’s agendas start to intrude. 6. Link to an existing action or habit This is about linking your new action to an existing action or habit that you take every single day. If you latch it onto something that’s existing, it makes it a whole lot easier for you to just glide forward and do it. So that might be linking it to when you brush your teeth in the morning. Or it might be linking it to when you commute to work in the morning. If you want to learn a new language or study a certain subject, you can download the podcast and hit play and listen to it on your way to work. Take action and feel great! Those are six ideas to help you get going and keep going so that you can take action, which is the key point. I want to make sure you take action because I don’t want you to just be doing same old same old, and feeling terrible about yourself all year. I want you to take action, feel great about yourself, and just have the wind at your back all year. Now, if you’re looking for some actionable and bite sized steps you can take that will help your career then I invite you to join my Career Masteryâ„¢ Challenge 2016 â€" it’s free. It starts on Monday January 11th with the first Tip and ends on February 5th. When you sign up for that, you also get my FREE 10-Point Guide For Making 2016 Your Best Year Yet. And yes, I’m determined to help you have an awesome year, because that’s the kind of year I want to have too! So let me leave you with this question: What actions are you wanting to take, and what do you do to get going and keep going so that you can have an awesome year? Scroll down and share a comment to let me know.

Career Changers Can Use These Tips For Career Changers

Career Changers Can Use These Tips For Career ChangersThere are a lot of career changers who need some additional help when it comes to resume writing. Career changers can benefit greatly from using these tips for career changers.Such career changers can use these resume writing tips for career changers to add credibility to their resumes. Using this resume writing tips for career changers can greatly help such career changers in getting a job. These resume writing tips for career changers can help such career changers in putting more emphasis on the positive aspects of their achievements.Such career changers can further use these resume writing tips for career changers to ensure that their professional skills are conveyed to the employer. It is true that many career changers need to be very careful while writing resumes. These career changers can also use these resume writing tips for career changers to ensure that their professional skills are conveyed to the employer. These resume writing tips for career changers can help such career changers in putting more emphasis on the positive aspects of their achievements.These resume writing tips for career changers can help such career changers in making their resumes more persuasive and more convincing. Career changers can use these resume writing tips for career changers to ensure that their resumes are convincing. Career changers can further use these resume writing tips for career changers to write resumes that are convincing and persuasive. These resume writing tips for career changers can help such career changers in making their resumes more persuasive and more convincing.Resume writing tips for career changers can also help these career changers in ensuring that their resumes are organized. This resume writing tips for career changers can help career changers in making their resumes organized. These resume writing tips for career changers can also help career changers in making their resumes organized. These resume writing tips for career changers can help career changers in putting more emphasis on the positive aspects of their achievements.Resume writing tips for career changers can also help these career changers in making their resumes more effective. These resume writing tips for career changers can help career changers in making their resumes more effective. These resume writing tips for career changers can help career changers in making their resumes more effective.Resume writing tips for career changers can also help these career changers in increasing their chances of landing a job. This resume writing tips for career changers can help these career changers in increasing their chances of landing a job. These resume writing tips for career changers can help these career changers in increasing their chances of landing a job.Career changers can also use these resume writing tips for career changers to make their resumes more convincing. Career changers can further use these resum e writing tips for career changers to make their resumes more persuasive. These resume writing tips for career changers can help career changers in convincing employers.