Upcoming Job Fair in Tel Aviv on September 8 2009

Upcoming Job Fair in Tel Aviv on September 8 2009 8 The Ministry of Absorption is holding a large job fair in Tel Aviv at the beginning of September 2009. Who This job fair is aimed at new immigrants (olim hadashim) and returning Israelis (toshavim chozerim) but any job seeker can attend. What According to the official announcement (pdf version), there will be hundreds of positions available in these fields and more: Programming Lab work in the field of life sciences Language teachers Customer Service and Sales Mechanical Work CNC, Factory and Technicians Chefs and Food Service Industry and Management, Electronics, Mechanical, Civil, Structural, and Electrical Engineers Construction and Building Warehouse Administration Hotel and Guest services Where Tel Aviv Fairgrounds (Ganei Hata'arucha), Bitan 20 Tel Aviveval Train: get off at Tel Aviv â€" University Bus: Egged: 521 or Dan: 47, 48, 28 Update 01/09/09: From 11:30 am to 3 pm, there will be a free shuttle bus leaving every 30 minutes from the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station to the job fair.eval There *will* even be free transportation from cities in the Center of the country, call these people for more information: Tel Aviv: Miriam 03-5209171 Petach Tikvah: Zimrah 03-9123006 Rishon LeTzion: Esther 03-6337666 Kfar Saba and Netanya: Avi 09-8890307 Ashdod: Aliza 08-8546004 Holon: Osnat 03-5023107 Entry is free. When Tuesday, September 8th, 2009, 12-5pm. Bring your Teudat Zehut (ID card) and copies of your resume. And don't forget to read my 35+ Job Fair Success Do’s and Don’ts before the fair.

The Worst Excuses to Skip Meetings and Interviews

The Worst Excuses to Skip Meetings and Interviews It happens time and time again and it seems like no ever learns. The same poor excuses to skip meetings and interviews are used over and over again. And everyone always gets caught in a lie, which leads to damaging trust between employers and job candidates.So, what are the worst excuses used way too often? Read the following below.“There Was a Death in the Family.”By far, this is the worst one a person can use. If you have an understanding of the consequences of actions, you know that lying and saying someone has passed away in your family will lead to more trouble than it’s worth. Here’s why:Staff will show you sympathy and most likely follow up with cards or gifts. The next day you come to work you will not be thinking about it. The first person who asks, “How are you doing?” will catch you off guard. You will have to deal with days of lying to people and dealing with their kindness. You will learn the true meaning of the saying, “Never cry wolf”.Ultimately, you wi ll find this excuse will lead to you feeling incredibly guilty, getting caught in a lie the day that “dead person” calls you at work, or showing your staff that you are willing to play their feelings for simply not wanting to work or attend a meeting. Bad move.“I Am Too Tired.”There is not one person in this world who feels like sleeping in at least one day a week, even when they love their jobs. It just happens. We all feel tired in the morning. Some people combat this by working out and others by drinking coffee. Some have a work regimen to remind themselves that feeling tired is only temporary.The thing is people at your company or the general public (depending on your job) rely on you. They need to count on you. Skipping a meeting or interview because you are too tired leads others to believe they cannot count on you. And that means never being promoted and having a short lifespan in a company.Note: This,of course, does not apply to people with physical ailments or disab ilities, such as Narcolepsy, Epilepsy, etc. But such things are handled with Human Resources and are understood by employers to be a reasonable accommodation for work.“I Have a Personal Emergency to Take Care Of.”Jobs are like relationships. If you do not communicate they fall apart. Using the “personal emergency” excuses sounds like a person who communicates poorly, tends to be overly dramatic, cannot be honest with him or herself, immature, has secrets, or is just full of bologna.If you are in a relationship, especially one where you are paid for working, and suddenly have this “personal emergency” you cannot speak of...your company will start to avoid seeing any reason to take you seriously or trust you.This type of excuse is used to try to kill any questions about skipping a day of work or an interview. And it always backfires in ways unseen to the employee. You lose jobs and trust at work but because you kept people at arms-length, they will see no reason to communi cate why you never get a raise, a job, or get promoted.“The Car Broke Down” or “My Train/Ferry/Plane Wasn’t Running.”Given you are an adult interviewing for or working at a job, the expectation is that you have a contingency plan for when things go wrong. And if you do not have one in place, they will see it as a sign that you just did not care enough to make one.Another thing to keep in mind, there are these things called “cabs” and/or “Lyft” and “Uber”. If you live in a metropolitan area, using the excuse that trains were not running does not work. Most likely, the people you were going to interview with or work with, took the same train to get to work. You look silly for even attempting to claim that your train was the only one that broke down when everyone else used it.Natural disasters aside (because they do happen), using this excuse shows anyone you work or interview with that their time is not worth a contingency plan. If you do not care enough...why sh ould they do the same for you?“It Is a Religious Holiday for Me.”Here is a great way to embarrass yourself: Claim to be a religious observer as a reason for a day off, only to find out the person you are interviewing with is a real observer. More so, we live in a global economy and have Google.If you use this excuse and it works, you now have the problem of everyone at work thinking you are of a religious faith...and you clearly are not based on the food you eat, the fact you never took that day off before, etc. If it does not work, you look ridiculous and almost childish.“I Tried to Make It...But I Couldn’t.”Ughhh! Nothing says, “I could care less about my job or interview” more than this excuse. This excuse screams of a person who is not willing to think, gives up too soon, and just feels no obligation to explain him or herself.The Strange Side Effects of These ExcusesBelieve it or not, some of the largest companies in the world have doctors on staff, expect doctorsâ €™ notes from staff, and bosses who keep track of the reasons why staff takes off. If you have no real reason to skip an interview or job, just suck it up and go to it. You will be glad you did.

The Good News Index

The Good News Index Spring is a time of renewal and growth, and even the economy seems to be in getting into the spirit.   Hiring is up, by some accounts as much as 70% over spring of 2009.   Here in Northeast Florida, we are tracking over 22,000 new job postings for March.  This represents a 24% increase in hiring over last month (17,874 jobs ads in February 2010 to 22,228 jobs ads in March 2010.)   We also have over 90 employers signed up for our Virtual Job Fair starting at midnight April 12. That’s a good reason to be optimistic that we will break out of the economic doldrums we’ve been in since mid-2008.   The Jacksonville Business Journal reports that Freight traffic was at its most robust in the week ending March 27 since November 2008, according to the Association of American Railroads. U.S. railroads hauled 16.5 percent more goods and materials in that week than the comparable period a year ago.   That’s good news in part because CSX, a major railroad, is headquartered here in Jacksonville, and what’s good for CSX is good for all of us.   Read more: Jacksonville Business Journal: Carloads and containers of good signs.  The stock market has risen 6% in 2010, and Dow 11,000 looks like a strong possibility for this year.   That’s good news for baby boomers whose investments and retirement plans have taken tremendous hits during the current recession.   Interest rates and inflation remain low, which is helping the housing market rebound as well.   The Good News Index, which I just made up, is based on the number of positive economic reports and indicators that are appearing in local journals and trusted data sources.    March and April are showing real signs of upward trends in business activity, hiring and earnings for some companies.   That makes the forecast partly cloudy with a 60% chance of real economic recovery this year.   Try to look for good news when you can.   A new study suggests that media viewers worldwide turn to particular broadcasters to affirm â€" rather than inform â€" their opinions.   The study mostly applied to political opinions, but I believe in viewer bias.   If you expect bad news, it’s easy to find.   If you expect good news, you can find it too â€" these days, you just have to work a little harder.     Maybe, just maybe, the reverse   is also true: that if you watch enough good news, you’ll start to feel better and expect even more good news. Anything that makes you feel better (and is not immoral, illegal or fattening) is good for your job search.   Sitting in your pajamas listening to bad news:  a.) does not help you find a job and b.) does not help you project a confident image in the interviews you get.   You can do the math â€" I’m 99% sure.

What To Wear To Work The Top 5 Most Trendy and Affordable Stores

What To Wear To Work The Top 5 Most Trendy and Affordable Stores Todays post is written by Ali Harrell, Career Adviser at the School of Fashion, Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta Campus.  Thanks Ali for helping us look great in the office on a budget! With New York Fashion Week having come and gone, we are left with one thing on our minds, FASHION! There are the lucky few, who will be purchasing clothing at the likes of Stella McCartney, Alexander Wang, Gucci, and the list goes on and on. But for us “regular” ladies who are building careers on a budget, that is not an option.We must find other ways to be on trend while sticking to a budget. It’s also important to find clothes that can “multi-task” from the workplace to your personal life. Now that leaves the big looming question at hand; where the heck do I buy this on-trend, wearable, multi-tasking wardrobe you speak of? Well, ladies, I have the answer for you. Here are the top five affordable stores for office outfits. 1.) J. Crew In my humble opinion, this is the quintessential store for the classy career girl who is looking to purchase key pieces that can not only be worn from day to night but can also  be worn several different ways. Some of their pieces can be a bit expensive, but they are worth the investment because they tend to have a classic edge to them so that  they can be worn for more than one season. Think a cute blazer can be worn at the office or paired with some skinnies, white t-shirt, and riding boots for a more causal weekend look. 2.) HM This is one of the best affordable stores that definitely stays on-trend. To be honest, HM used to scare me a bit because it was so fashion forward, but after a few shopping trips (and several to-die-for pieces later) I have learned to love this fashionable store! Ok ladies, let’s talk peplums. I know you have seen the likes of Kate Middleton and Victoria Beckham strutting their size two selves around in these adorable peplum dresses and blouses. So I know you might be thinking “Yeah right, there is no way I could pull that off. Well, I beg to differ. This style actually looks great on most body types and can be taken from day to night with ease.   Pair it with a fitted blazer, ankle dress pants or pencil skirt and some closed toe pumps for work.  Or dress it down with skinny jeans and boots or flats for the weekend. 3. 4.)  Ann Taylor Ann Taylor Loft Ok, Ok, I know your thinking, “Well thanks, Sherlock, I had no idea Ann Taylor had work clothes!”, but hold on before I lose all credibility. Ann Taylor and Loft are obvious choices for this list, but I want to point out how fashion forward they have become in the last few years. This is no longer your mothers Ann Taylor. The brand has done an amazing job  of taking trends from the runway and translating them into wearable, affordable, on-trend pieces.   I also love that they rarely compromise on fabric. Cashmere, silks, and wool blends, oh my! The trend for fall that they did an amazing job of making wearable is the leather and lace trend.   This can seem a bit 1985 at first, but when done properly it can be a lovely take on an outfit for the workplace and your personal life. A lace skirt can be worn in the workplace with a silk blouse and pumps and can also double as an adorable outfit for a bridal or baby shower (because if you are like me, you have one EVERY weekend).   The dress with leather accents is pretty easy; pair it with pumps or ballet flats for work, and strappy sandals for a sexy date night look. 5. )  Zara Last, but certainly not least, Zara is an amazing store to find on-trend pieces with a certain European sophistication to them. Not to mention that it’s one of Kate Middleton’s favorite stores, which makes it a must for any Classy Career Girl. For those of you who are not fortunate enough to have a Zara locally, don’t fret! They went online for US shoppers in 2011 making their beautiful clothing available to everyone! Zara captures almost all of the new trends and translates them into beautiful, wearable pieces. So the trend I want to focus on with Zara is winter white. Winter white is such a classic, so I was so very excited to see it was back in “style” for fall. I think the key to wearing white in the fall/winter, for both day and night, is not to overdo it. Wear the pieces separately, so you don’t end up looking like Frosty. Where  do you love to  shop for fashionable office attire on a budget?

Storytelling Propels Executive Branding and Job Search - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Storytelling Propels Executive Branding and Job Search Youve defined your  executive brand and unique value proposition. Now how do you use them in job search? Developing stories around your passions, values, key attributes, strengths, and differentiating factors is a powerful strategy to help you communicate your unique promise of value, and help recruiters and hiring decision makers more readily connect with the value you offer over your competition. Everyone loves a well-told story with a happy ending. Hiring professionals are no exception. Storytelling comes into play in your paper/digital and online career marketing communications (resume, biography, profile, Google profile, etc.), as well as in networking and job interviewing. Storytelling development  goes by various acronyms, including  S-T-A-Rs (Situation Tasks Actions Results)  and C-A-Rs (Challenge Actions Results). I have my executive clients choose 4-5 (or more) standout contributions, in terms of business value,  theyve made to companies within the past 10-15 years. Using the C-A-Rs method, I ask them to keep their  brand in mind while working on the following exercise: 1.   What was the specific CHALLENGE (or Situation) facing the company and/or your team? Were you/the company facing particularly difficult odds with this situation? What were the stakes? 2.   What specific ACTION(s) did you take to meet the challenge and improve things (whatever the goal was or whatever needed turning around)? 3.   What were the long and short term RESULT(s) that positively impacted the company? Did you meet the goal, improve things,  and/or turn around the situation? How long did it take to see the results? Monetize the results and/or use hard facts whenever possible â€" NUMBERS TALK! I ask them to tell the story in depth, step-by-step, and not to worry that they’re compiling too much information â€" their efforts digging deep are well spent. After detailing the entire story, we go back, consolidate, and hone the information to create concise value-driven stories. Developing and leveraging storytelling offers many benefits:   Reminds you of key contributions you’ve made and  how your  strengths  have benefitted  employers. This is the confidence-booster you need as you move into the sometimes daunting new world of executive job search.   Helps you become accustomed to articulating your value in interviews and when networking. Have you ever been interviewed by an inept communicator? Someone who either hasn’t prepared, just doesn’t know what questions to ask to get the information that will help them assess you, or is so busy talking she never asks you any questions? Interjecting your tight, well-rehearsed stories makes her job easier.   In interviewing, helps you deal with behavioral-based questions Tell me about a time when you . . . and any questions directed at your weaknesses. Prepare a success story that tells how you dealt with a weakness and came through for your company.   Generates chemistry and deeper interest in your candidacy better than merely stating the WOW end results of your contributions.   Helps  people see how you leverage your skills and strengths to make things happen, and makes it easier for employers to picture you in action, making things happen for their organization.   Adds brand reinforcement to your executive resume and career biography. Include a few tightly-written, to the point success stories (2 to 3 lines each) in your resume. With their narrative format, career bios are custom-made for storytelling. Including stories makes for a much more interesting read than a typical dry bio.   Transforms your online profiles (, Google Profiles, VisualCV, ZoomInfo, etc.). into high-impact, differentiating career marketing communications.   Fuels your Critical Leadership Initiatives Summary, a stand-alone career document showcasing top contributions. See one I created for a CEO â€" Global Operations Management. Take the time to create and rehearse  several career success stories. Having  them at-the-ready, to communicate what sets you apart, can be the deciding factor in landing your next great gig.   Related posts: 10 Steps to an Authentic, Magnetic Personal Brand How to Build a Powerful Executive Network Best Executive Job Interviewing Strategies 00 0

Working remotely How to be the best virtual teammate

Working remotely How to be the best virtual teammate In this globalized, highly-connected world, as many as 50 million Americans â€" 40 percent of the workforce â€" work from home at least part of the time. Approximately 48 percent of all managers spend half of their week working remotely (from home or on the road). Studies reveal that those who work remotely are often more productive than their office-bound counterparts. When it comes to teams, though, the data tell a different story. In their 2001 study of 70 virtual teams, Vijay Govindarajan and Anil Gupta found that 82 percent of virtual teams fell short of their goals and 33 percent rated themselves as largely unsuccessful. Furthermore, a 2005 Deloitte study of IT projects outsourced to virtual work groups found that 66 percent failed to satisfy client requirements. So how do you balance the reality of increased virtual work with the drawbacks of teaming virtually? I spoke with Committed Teams authors Mario Moussa, Madeline Boyer and Derek Newberry about how you can be the best virtual teammate, a skill that will undoubtedly serve you well. Build trust early Trust is a key to success for any team, but for virtual teams trust is the glue that binds teammates together across distances and time zones. If people do not trust one another to deliver, they waste time on duplicate efforts, timelines are delayed, and creativity and innovation suffer. Boyer says that “as a virtual teammate you should capitalize early on swift trust â€" that benefit of the doubt we give people we’ve recently metâ€"and turn it into cognitive and affective trust.” Cognitive trust is the kind of trust the comes from knowing you’ll deliver, because you’ve developed a track record. Affective trust is the feeling that someone can trust you because they know you. Work equally hard early on to produce results and build relationships so that your teammates trust and value your presence on the team. Be explicit about expectations One of the biggest barriers to virtual teamwork is communication. Newberry says the solution is actually quite simple: “Be upfront and clear.” Let your teammates know what to expect from youâ€"how often you are available to have conference calls or video-chats, whether you prefer emails, texts, or voicemails, and what turnaround time they can expect from you on any given mode. “As explicit as, ‘If you send me a text I’ll get back to you within the hour, but I may take up to a day to respond to emailsâ€"so if it’s important, send me a quick text first’,” is what Newberry suggests. Check in frequently When you work on a team that is co-located, it’s easy to walk down the hall and pop in to Sally’s office to ask how she’s coming along with that report. Virtual teams don’t have the benefit (and psychological reassurance) of frequent face time. Moussa warns, “Managers tend to evaluate those working remotely less favorably than those in the office, simply because they see them less â€" even if their performance metrics are even.” When working on a virtual team, anxiety levels can rise when team members are not frequently checking in. Check in way more frequently than you normally would on a traditional team. Daily updates on where you stand on key deliverables may seem superfluous, but can go a long way towards positioning you as a star member of whatever team you’re on. While virtual teaming presents unique challenges to high performance, trends indicate it is not going away any time soon. By making sure you are the best virtual teammate you can be, you are positioning yourself to be sought after in any organization.

An Employment Boost Resume Writing Service Review

An Employment Boost Resume Writing Service ReviewAn employment boost resume writing service is an important component in the development of a new hire. If a company does not invest in such a service, then they will be wasting their money by hiring someone who would not have a positive impact on the business as well as the employee. It is for this reason that the company should have to keep in mind that the employment boost resume writing service they have hired should be able to offer them with the following:No doubt, there are many ways to advertise the services of an employment boost resume writing service. Some of these ways can include posting advertisements in local newspapers and newsletters, creating videos, and offering seminars and workshops. However, the company would want to ensure that the advertising campaign they have spent a lot of money on would not only show up on the websites of these services but also on the actual sites of these businesses.In order to get the righ t kind of advertising for the employment boost resume writing service, the company would want to find out how the company was able to attract the attention of other companies when it comes to its advertising campaign. They would also want to find out how the company was able to achieve this, especially in the case where the company advertised the services to such a large number of potential clients. In this regard, it would be helpful to consider an employment boost resume writing service review.In the case of an employment boost resume writing service review, the company can look for the things that the service provider did to improve upon the service it was already offering. This is because an advertisement will not bring about the business unless the client is able to reach the target audience that the advertisement is trying to reach. Therefore, the company should be able to recognize when the advertising campaigns of the company were successful.The results of an employment boos t resume writing service review would then be used to help improve the services of the service provider. This is especially true when the company is not satisfied with the services that they have been offered before. In this regard, the company should not stop at just one review but rather several reviews should be done, including a review based on the success of the advertising campaign as well as a review based on the success of the service the company offers.An employment boost resume writing service review should also look into the experience of the service provider. The more experience the service provider has, the better the services that it offers will be. Therefore, this is why it is important to conduct a thorough review of the services that the company offers to ensure that the customer has received what it expected from the service provider.An employment boost resume writing service review should also focus on the quality of the services the company provides to its client s. This is because the company cannot offer services that are substandard because it would lose clients to the companies that offer services that are of a higher quality. Therefore, it is important for the company to find out what the company would need to improve on to make sure that the company can give the best service to its clients.Lastly, an employment boost resume writing service review should focus on the industry that the company is targeting with the services offered. In the case of the employment boost resume writing service review, the company would want to see if the company is targeting specific sectors. In this regard, it would be helpful to consider the target audiences of the company and then see if the company is able to cater to them as well.