Is Your Candidate Persona Based on Fact or Fiction

Is Your Candidate Persona Based on Fact or Fiction If your marketing personas are merely based on conventional wisdom, your content will not reach its potential with the intended audience. Every good communicator follows the cardinal rule: know your audience. On the surface, creating audience personas for your employer or B2B brand seems like a great idea. Creating specific profiles of your audience so you can find ways to better connect with them makes sense. And if you know what you are doing, it is an effective exercise to help develop compelling and relevant content. So why does most content miss the mark in connecting with their audience? We have to take a deeper look at the current way we are creating our personas. A persona (also called a candidate persona in employer branding) is a semi-fictional representation of your customer usually based on different types of research. A persona includes characteristics like demographics, behaviors and motivations. This is all well and good, except for one issue. How do you know if it is accurate? Develop a persona based on assumptions with the wrong combination of characteristics and you’ve essentially created a persona non grata, a person who is unwelcome. Or in marketing terms, one that your target audience will not connect with. Lack of proper, holistic research is the culprit One of the biggest problems with audience personas is in the lack of proper research. An accurate portrayal of a persona requires some level of one-on-one qualitative research, which just does not happen in most organizations. Marketers, especially in the employer branding space, do not have the time or resources to properly interview an appropriate sample of their target audience. What happens more often than not is the content marketer will develop their personas based on their own knowledge and assumptions of their audience, and this is a huge error that almost always goes unnoticed. Whether we like it or not, we all tend to group people within stereotypes that grossly lack any unique human insight. I remember one meeting where we were developing a persona for a salesperson, and one of the participants exclaimed, “It’s simple: girls and fast cars.” Most of the time our biases are unconscious, but the ways we perceive and project our audience almost never contain any deep ins ights that will resonate with said audience. The power of any message is found in shared emotions or values, also referred to as human truth. So how do we arrive at human truth? The current process of creating content is flawed In a recent survey of 330 self-identified content marketers who work for U.S. companies, some 88% of respondents said their team generates content ideas in regular group meetings, and 76% said their ideas were developed during dedicated brainstorming sessions; while 60% of respondents said content ideas are generated by individual staff members. Guess what? Only 28% of respondents say content ideas come from research. Does this surprise you? Based on this information, I am willing to bet that their personas were developed in a similar manner. Content marketing is a complex animal. There are other aspects involved such as distribution strategies and amplification opportunities that play a huge role in the ultimate success of a piece of content. And of course, the quality of writing and idea generation makes a huge difference. But before any of that comes into play, I believe you must have a message that is rooted in accurate human insights. If you do not, the message is easily misinterpreted or it simply falls flat. Successful messaging is hard work. There are no shortcuts, but thankfully there are resources. Human insights are out there, go find them As a content marketing professional, I realized that I needed to be proactive in finding real insights into my personas beyond what I knew from my conventional wisdom and survey data. I started conducting my own qualitative research by inviting customers for coffee or asking my recruiting partners to fit in a few questions at the end of their calls. Qualitative research doesn’t need to feel like a one-way interview. Create an objective and then engage in a dialog with your customers that will also benefit them. For those companies that do not have time or a budget to conduct their own primary research, there are free resources like PeerCulture that offer qualitative interviews with professionals from different industries. By reading through the day-to-day stories of your audience, you begin to understand their mindset and learn what is important to them. Another amazing resource to help you build out your personas is the Content Marketing Institute. They have several resources that give you a step-by-step guide to help generate audience personas. This knowledge can be invaluable when developing personas â€" personas that will be rooted in actual insights that come directly from your audience and not from a brainstorming session in a conference room. About the author: Jonas Fischer is co-founder of PeerCulture, a place where exceptional employees share their stories to help employers learn and evolve.

7 Tips to Boost Your Chances of Getting a Job

7 Tips to Boost Your Chances of Getting a Job Getting a job in todays economy is no easy challenge. You may not be able to land a job even after weeks or months of job search. This is because most of the jobseekers are using specific strategies to stay ahead in the competition. If you don’t want to be left behind in the race, you too need to have an action-plan ready with you. The more time it takes to look for a job, the more frustrated you can become. So, you need to act now! Given below are seven key tips that you can use to boost your job search and land a job before it’s really too late. #1. Don’t Look for a Perfect Job If you ask career experts, they’ll tell you that there’s nothing like a perfect job. You may not always be able to get all you want from a job in a single package, particularly when the going is really tough. Therefore, the first thing that you need to keep in mind while trying to get a new job is ‘let go of perfectionism’. You’ll always have time to find better opportunities when you’ve got a job already. #2. Gear Up Really Well Preparation is always the key, whether it’s submitting a resume, applying for a job, attending an interview or meeting with the employer. Make sure all your gears are in good order. Spend adequate time to create an impressive resume. Do remember to tailor your cover letter to the specific requirements of the employer you want to work with. Take a look at How To Write a Resume Feel the Employer Pain. #3. Network Extensively (But not Blindly) Social or professional networking can bring you amazing results. If you want to boost your chances of landing a job really quickly, you should try to connect with more and more influential people, both offline and online. Attend social and community events where you can get to know new people. Be active on popular social networking websites like Faceboo, Twitter and LinkedIn. In any case, don’t waste your time networking blinding. Always connect with those people who you think can bring you career benefits in some way or the other. More at Top 10 Networking Books for Your Career Success. #4. Don’t Let Rejections Discourage You Getting rejected is just a part of the game. And it’s so easy to get frustrated when you see no results from your job search. Not every employer will want to hire you. Hiring managers will offer you a job only when they are fully convinced of your potential and how you can help their company with your skills. Even if you are rejected in your first few attempts, you need to continue with your job search. If it’s really taking longer than what you expected, you need to review your strategy and modify the action plan. #5. Focus on Getting Your Foot in the Door First If you really want to boost your chances of getting a job, you should first try to get your foot in the door. The first break is important. Unless you get your first break in the industry, you can’t build the work experience that you’ll need to negotiate better job or career opportunities. #6. Also Target Regional Job Websites Don’t make potential job search mistakes like many others do. While it’s always advisable to submit your resume to the major job boards, it’s also a useful recommendation not to ignore regional job sites. Try to find jobs in your own location by visiting job sites that focus on a specific region. Have a look at the Riley Guide or Job-Hunt.org for job board directories. #7. Don’t Ignore Temporary Jobs Getting a temporary job is always better than sitting unemployed. Since these are really lean times, you shouldn’t completely ignore temporary jobs. Many companies hire candidates for temporarily. If it’s one with a potential employer, you should grab it quickly. Who knows when this temporary job can turn into a full-time job position. Just give your 100 percent to whatever job you take up and try to showcase your most essential and unique skills. Finally, ensure youre not making any mistakes by reading the Top 5 Job Search Blunders. Author: James Tomerson writes regularly on career, education and latest job trends. To read more from him, you can visit Jobdiagnosis.com, which also offers jobseekers a free career aptitude test to choose a career which is in tune with their career, aptitude and skills.

Yes, There Are Differences Between Male and Female Leaders And Thats Not a Bad Thing

Yes, There Are Differences Between Male and Female Leaders â€" And Thats Not a Bad Thing Last week, I interviewed Shannon McFayden for Talent Tribune, an up-and-coming HR news outlet. Shannon is a former Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Human Resources and Corporate Relations at Wachovia. Once named one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” by US Banker, Shannon now works as an executive consultant and leadership coach. As a high-power woman in the male-dominated finance industry, McFayden had some fascinating insights about women in the workplace. One of the most interesting â€" and surprising? She believes that women do work differently from men â€" and that it’s a good thing. Asked why there aren’t more women in high-power positions, McFayden responded, “It’s absolutely an institutional problem.” Companies, she said, need to get smarter about working with and for women. A big impediment to that? The fact that women simply work differently than men. “There are emotional, social, and even physiological factors,” McFayden said. “Research shows that men and women do approach things very differently.” Men and women process information, approach decision-making, react to stress and handle risk differently. And, McFayden said, that’s a good thing. “Organizations that have both [male and female leaders] are better. They’re stronger because they have more versatility and agility at the top.” It sounds controversial. But the fact is that there are major differences between male and female leaders. And those differences are not only okay â€" they’re actually beneficial. The research to back it up Leadership consultancy firm Zenger Folkman conducted 360-degree reviews of male and female leaders, obtaining information about them from their peers, direct reports and managers. Their results show that although female leaders represent a far smaller percentage, they actually outperformed their male counterparts. One possible reason? Female leaders are more likely to practice self-development by asking for feedback about their performance and decisions. Men, especially those above the age of 40, are less likely to do the same. This practice makes female leaders better at developing both themselves and their teams within the workplace. However, men outscored women some areas, too, including developing strategic perspective and technical expertise. And although they may not seek feedback from others, men apparently spend more time staying on top of technological and economic trends. What are some other differences between male and female leaders? Women’s leadership styles are more transformational. They are good at mentoring and coaching employees into bettering themselves. Women also tend to reward their employees more for good performance. Men, on the other hand, manage by clearly defining their expectations and passively managing those expectations. They don’t get involved unless a crisis occurs, giving employees more autonomy to perform tasks. Do these differences really matter? Interestingly, when male and female leaders are judged based on overall results, rather than how they achieved them, both genders come out equal. This poses an important question. If the results are the same, should companies spend less time worrying about the difference between male and female leaders, and more time aligning employees with the right type of leader for them? If the results are likely to be the same in the end, organizations should focus instead on fostering employee growth using the leadership style that fits them best. According to McFayden, research shows that when a company’s leadership has diversity in terms of both male and female leaders, growth is faster and is more sustained over time. That’s why women leaders shouldn’t feel like they have to “work like men” â€" organizations need both male and female leaders to succeed. Men and women bring distinct, unique, and equally important assets to an organization’s leadership. And when companies try to gender-neutralize leaders, they’re robbing themselves of diversity they need. Instead, to see greater success, companies should find ways to foster and benefit from the difference between male and female leaders. Abby Perkins is Managing Editor at Talent Tribune, a SoftwareProviders.com blog dedicated to all things HR.

Ten things to do after workbesides more work

Ten things to do after work…besides more work Yes, there is life after work. Workdays are super-intense. Ten, twelve, even fourteen hours of go! Go! Go! You can feel great at the end of the day, knowing that you have made a difference. And you get to do it all again tomorrow! Keeping up your energy day after day is hard work too. Paradoxically, mental breaks make it easier to stay focused and productive in the long term. Take a real break after work. Start by turning off all work-related phone, text and email alerts. If you have a separate phone or laptop for work, turn them off and put them away. Working from home? Close the door on your workspace. Draw a bright line between work and after work. Here are some things you can do to have a real life after work: Get physical: If you sit at a desk all day, MOVE! Go for a walk or a run. Play with the dog. Go to the gym. Do yoga. Go dancing. Do something that lets your brain rest, and your body move. Socialize: See or talk with friends, relatives, or neighbors. Talk about anything but work: vacations, memories, the news, what you will do on the weekend…just get out of your workday head. Friendships and relationships flower with small investments over time. Start investing now. Enjoy silence: Whether in the tub, your garden, or the living room, just sit and enjoy the fact that no one is talking with you, and you don’t have to talk with anyone else. Try scented candles or incense, or a cup of tea, to get into a peaceful mood. Learn something new: Use time after work to expand your knowledge. Check out a course on Coursera, Udemy, or other platforms. Pick something you have always wanted to learn about, then take the course at your own pace. Enjoy learning for its own sake! Volunteer : Doing something for others is good for society and good for your physical and mental health. And it can be a lot of fun! Choose an organization whose mission resonates with your values, whether that’s the local library, a food bank, or women’s shelter. Make something delicious  Cook a yummy, nutrient-packed dinner. Bake a sweet and tasty treat. You deserve it! Even if you aren’t (yet) a confident chef, these 5 easy recipes will get you started. Review your finances: Change your relationship with your money. Own it. Get used to knowing where you stand, what your goals are, and what comes next. It’s easier than you think. If you can add and subtract, you can do this! Fix something at home: A bit of DIY is good for your home, and many common jobs are easier than you think. And the sense of accomplishment is priceless.  Have some Housepride, ladies! Pursue a hobby: Spend some of that free time after work on activities you love. Gardening, photography, painting, writing, crocheting even crossword puzzles! Do something you enjoy, alone or with others. Read a book: Whether its history, science, or a novel, diving into a book takes you to another place and time. You can learn something new, or just picture yourself having a totally different life. Be your own Walter Mitty! For a wild and engrossing escape, I am partial to Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander A new world after work Carving out time for your life after work for pleasure builds resilience and enhances your life. It’s all about you: doing something you enjoy, taking care of yourself, connecting with family and friends. There’s a world out there beyond your office: jump in!

4 Reasons Boomers Need a Mentor Your Kids Age [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

4 Reasons Boomers Need a Mentor Your Kid’s Age [Guest Post] - Career Pivot You Need a Mentor Your Kid’s Age? Copyright: designpics / 123RF Stock Photo As a baby boomer, you are part of a unique generation that has set the stage for many of the great technological, medical and social advances people take for granted today. That means you’re not only used to change, but you’re also likely on the forefront of instigating it. Technology, social change, creativity, and inventiveness are probably a huge part of your repertoire. These days, however, there seems to be a prevalent misconception that baby boomers are inflexible creatures who just want to tell younger generations what to do. And while there is always the parenting instinct that’s hard to let go of, there is a lot to learn from this up-and-coming generation, known as the millennials. Here are four ways a mentor your kid’s age can help you navigate the changing landscape of the 21st-century workplace: They Can Teach You New Stuff If there’s one thing baby boomers love, it’s learning. Google is like the holy grail of education. Even though baby boomers and Gen X were the original pioneers of today’s technology, most tend to be too busy to keep up with every new platform that comes along. If you want to succeed in today’s marketplace, however, an in-depth understanding of technology is a must. A millennial mentor can give you the edge when it comes to technology. Gadgets and social media are second nature to them, and most are more than happy to share their knowledge â€" even though they might get a touch frustrated when it takes you a while to get it. They Can Teach You to Have Fun Many baby boomers spent decades working hard to obtain their status, and their jobs became the definition of who they were. Consequently, you may pride yourself on your accomplishments and have sacrificed a lot to get there â€" including potentially running yourself into a heart attack and high blood pressure territory. Millennials, on the other hand, believe work should be more than the nine to five drudgery that sends you to an early grave. They believe the workplace should be a positive experience. In fact, it’s one of their top priorities in a job, and they are not yet tainted by bad bosses and all the other things that come with the obsession to succeed. Maybe it’s time to let them teach you how to look at work as more than just an elusive goal to be accomplished. They Can Teach You to Collaborate Millennials have been brought up on a collaborative mentality. From elementary school to university, they learned and practiced teamwork. While there’s still something to be said for personal accomplishment, a team effort can generate ideas and solutions well beyond that of the individual effort. As the competitive attitude that embodied the baby boomer workplace wanes, pairing the experience and insight of the boomer with the enthusiasm and collaborative mindset of the millennial can be a win for everyone â€" and who better than millennials themselves to help you with that shift? They Can Help You Transition Boomers grew up in a world where you went to work for a company and stayed there until you retired â€" but all that has changed. Millennials now look at jobs as stepping stones to their next opportunity, and staying with one company for any length of time is no longer the norm. This strategy, once known as job hopping, gives them a multitude of learning opportunities and has even been shown to increase their earning potential. Listen to the most recent episode Think about it â€" how many baby boomers are stuck in jobs that are unfulfilling, making too much money to move on, with no skills or idea how to pursue a new career? Millennials can help. Letting a millennial school you on career growth may be just what you need. They know all the ins and outs of landing a new job, how to network, where to look and how to take advantage of the opportunities that are still out there. Will these new attitudes and collaborative tendencies be successful in producing a generation that makes their desired mark on the world? Only time will tell. Each prior generation inevitably questions the ones that follow them. If you can take the time to understand millennials, though, you can create a new alliance which gives rise to attitudes of mutual learning. Maybe you can finally find a balance that will produce a workplace where everyone is valued and appreciated â€" no matter their generational label. This post was written by Career expert and blogger Sarah Landrum is the founder of Punched Clocks, a site for professionals about finding happiness and success in life and at work. Subscribe to Sarah’s newsletter and follow her on social media for more advice to grow your career. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

7 Social Media Tricks For Your Career and Job Search

7 Social Media Tricks For Your Career and Job Search If you are tired of the same old routine of searching for jobs, applying and then not hearing anything back, try some of these new social media tricks. Break out of job-seeker-mode and be one of the first in your industry to embrace social media tools and become a sought-after resource. Along the way, you may just meet some interesting people! All you need to do is enhance how you use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat to steal the show within your career niche. 7 Social Media Tricks For Your Career and Job Search The key is knowing what social media platforms are on the rise and how to use them to advance your career. 1. Add Bling to LinkedIn Your LinkedIn profile can support embedded files and media. This means that you can upload PowerPoint, Excel and Word files under a job in your Experience section. One idea is to show samples of your work to prove you have the necessary skills for future jobs. Better yet, add video or pictures to your summary to highlight your career successes. Adding media content to your profile will instantly catch someones eye and help differentiate you from similar professionals. Learn how to  Make Your LinkedIn Profile Media Rich. 2. Complete Your Facebook Bio If you havent done it yet, now is the time. Beef up your Facebook profile by adding work history, interests and skills. This might just help you show up in a hiring professionals search results or gain the attention of one of your Facebook friends. Consider it an opportunity to publicize your marketable assets and hirable qualities. Though many consider Facebook to be a personal networking site, that hasnt stopped recruiters from using it to source talent. Here are more tips to help prepare your Facebook profile to highlight your career. 3. Try a Twitter Chat Twitter chats attract people who are interested in learning and chatting about topics ranging from advertising to wine. Twitter chats are online QA sessions and usually include a hashtag keyword to indicate the discussion thread. For job search conversation and advice, join in Fridays at noon EST for #OMCchat. Investigate the many  Twitter chats on TweetReports schedule  to find the one thats right for you. The best way to get started with a Twitter chat is to watch what happens during one by following the hashtag on Twitter. Observe the format and what people are saying. Once youve gotten the hang of it and understand how that chat works, jump in by sharing your own thoughts or share a tweeted response you like. Be sure to follow up after the Twitter chat with people you interacted with during the chat. This is how you build your network and expand the potential reach about who you are and what you do. 4. Join or Host a Live Stream Event Live streaming events are filmed in real-time. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all offer them. These applications allow both live video and a chat function so you can interact with people. Participants can ask questions or share comments in the dialog box. You can also see the profiles of people watching the event and some you may be interested in following. As with Twitter chats, watch and observe the format of the live stream show and discussions before jumping in. To spread the word about your expertise or show that youre in-the-know, you could host your own talk show or interview industry influencers. LinkedIn and Facebook both offer live video broadcasts. Learn more here: Use Video To Amplify Your Personal Brand 5. Share Photos  on Instagram You may already have a personal Instagram account, but have you thought about how you can use your account to share personal and professional content? When sharing a photo or video, add your thoughts and several hashtags to lure the right audience. You could also tag company accounts you are following in your posts. You may decide to create a campaign in which you share visuals from your portfolio with the hashtag #HireMe. Instagram can be a brand-building tool for people interested in managing their career trajectory. Share photos of you speaking at events, winning awards, volunteering or participating in company events. These images provide a glimpse of whats important to you and help you stand out. For more Instagram tips check out How To Use Instagram for Job Search 6. Tell Your Story on Snapchat This application is known for its disappearing messages. Given its fast growth among younger users, this picture and video sharing application is becoming popular among businesses and marketing professionals. Not all messages instantly self-destruct. The Snapchat Stories feature will allow a series of snaps to last for 24 hours. As an active job seeker, you can use it to talk about your qualifications for a job after youve applied, share a day-in-the-life of what you do at work or use it as a video blogging platform to talk about issues in your field of work. You can deliver instant news from a conference or event you attend. If you are already using Snapchat, you may have even more creative ideas on how to use Snapchat for your job search. Heres an example of how one job seeker used SnapChat. Evaluate Your Results Try testing your personal branding awareness campaign across different social media platforms  to see which garner the most attention, generate discussion and new followers. There are additional benefits to being active on social media, such as: create searchable online content build a reputation for being a subject matter expert or thought leader develop new social media skills. Youll win points for creativity and ingenuity if you tailor your message to your ideal employer. A version of this post originally appeared on US News World Report

Resumae Is A Helpful Anti-Allergy And Asthma Device

Resumae Is A Helpful Anti-Allergy And Asthma DeviceResumae is an inhaler to keep asthma at bay. The inhaler can be used in situations where other asthma treatments may not be effective.Asthma is a condition that causes the inflammation of the airways, thus causing asthma attacks. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs. The airways do not have bones, but they serve as protectors from foreign bodies like pollen, dust, and animal dander. When the airways become inflamed and swell, a person with asthma is prone to all sorts of symptoms, ranging from sniffles to severe breathing difficulties.The respiratory tract, which includes the lungs, trachea, and bronchi, is a complicated system. The Resumae inhaler takes care of the airways by delivering controlled doses of medication directly to the area where the symptoms are most intense. It is used to counter symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, or difficulty in breathing. To prevent symptoms from becomi ng too severe, doctors will prescribe an oral corticosteroid such as prednisone. While this method may work in some cases, it can cause serious side effects.The Resumae inhaler has two modes of delivery: an aerosol inhaler and a nebulizer. The aerosol inhaler contains a slow-release formula of medicine that maintains the patient's balance of chemicals. While this may not work as quickly as oral medications, it is easier to control the amount of medication in the patient's system. Also, this mode of delivery has a greater margin of safety than the other mode.It should be noted that oral corticosteroids and asthma inhalers have different effects on the body. An individual who takes oral steroids may experience a rebound effect after using the inhaler. However, most users of the inhaler complain about the fact that it is a very convenient device.The respiratory tract has a good defense against germs and other substances that can cause adverse reactions. However, the respiratory tract c an be damaged when a person with asthma is exposed to allergens in places that cannot be avoided, such as public areas and the workplace. The Resumae inhaler is particularly useful in these situations because it can provide instant relief to a patient.The resume is a liquid inhaler. This means that it is easy to use and it is small enough to easily carry around.Asthma is a very serious disease, but it can be managed with the help of Resumae inhalers. When a person with asthma is on the verge of having an attack, the doctor may be able to prevent an attack by prescribing the inhaler.