Online Networking for a Finance Job

Online Networking for a Finance JobOnline Networking for a Finance JobKelly, a job seeker in Southern California, welches surprised by the importance placed on having an online presence, but she welchesnt caught off guard.Kellys experience during the Great Recession has been different from some of the horror stories you might have heard on the news.Instead of wallowing in unemployment for a long time with no hope of resurrecting her career, Kelly was proactive. Never one to go without a plan, she started looking for a job while she was mucksmuschenstill employed, joined FinanceLadder and worked closely with the FinanceLadder career coaches.When her position at a financial services company was eliminated in June, her job search was already well underway. She just had to kick it into high gear.Of course the job search took a lot of work, but Kelly was still able to spend much of her summer on the sunny beaches of Southern California. Because she was with her former employer for more th an 12 years, Kelly was given a sizable severance package.One of the elements of the job search that surprised her was the importance of having a presence on the Internet.I was surprised at how much more companies have gone to online search, she said. If you dont make that a primary part of your channels, youre really missing out.Then through her networking efforts with former colleagues, who had since moved on, she was able to pursue a new job with another financial services company - a position that was actually created just for her.After several virtual interviews, which her coach was able to help her out with, she was hired sight unseen. The coaching, she said, was particularly helpful when it came time for the salary negotiation because she had an impartial sounding board against which to practice the interchange and get helpful feedback.I got a bump in title and pay, she said. This was better than anything I could have planned out.

Why Good Business Etiquette Matters More than Ever

Why Good Business Etiquette Matters More than EverWhy Good Business Etiquette Matters More than EverWhy Good Business Etiquette Matters More than Ever Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource CenterIs your business a place that cultivates good business etiquette?And more to the point why should you care?If you think etiquette is a thing of the past author Barbara Pachter advises you to think again.herbei new book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet your Way to Success (McGraw-Hill, 2013) makes the case for why good business etiquette particularly social media etiquette is more important than ever.And as she points out in this interview, its bedrngnis always the employees who commit etiquette no-nos.Monster Your new book covers a lot of territory. Is it geared to a particular audience?Pachter The book is geared to new entries to the workplace and seasoned professionals. Everyone can benefit from staying up-to-date with etiquette, including the new social med ia guidelines.Monster Do Gen Y, Gen X and Boomers all struggle with good etiquette?Pachter We can all struggle with whats appropriate behavior in todays ever-changing workplace. Our mothers couldnt have taught us how to be polite with social media it didnt exist when most of us were growing up.Monster Do Millennials face a bigger challenge, given their level of social media use?Pachter They mayas social media has become their main mode of communication. One young woman said that she looks at her phone the last thing at night and the first thing in the morningpositiv many Millennials started using social media before they entered the workplace and dont realize that they may have to adapt their social media presence/activity for the business world.Monster Should younger workers be held to the same rules around social media use at work as everyone else? Or is that a sure-fire way to create discontent?Pachter Yes, we all need to follow the same rules. Everyone needs to remember that th eir use of social media can impact their reputation and their relationships with others.Monster What challenges has social media created in workplace behavior? How should employers address these issues?Pachter Employers need a social media policy. They need to address issues such as Can employees access social media while they are at work? (This is somewhat difficult to stop as most employees have access via their phones.) What company information is appropriate to post or not to post? And what are the penalties for employees abusing the social media policy?Monster What other challenges are common around workplace etiquette?Pachter People mucksmuschenstill have the tendency to text under the table at meetings. This use of the Smartphone is rude to the speaker. In addition to understanding how to be polite with social media, many employees still need to learn how to shake hands correctly, dress appropriately and stay sober at business-social events.Monster Whatno-nos do employers som etimes commit in the workplace?Pachter Employers have a tendency to set guidelines for employees, yet dont always follow the rules themselves. One boss does not let his employees text in the office, but he will text when he is in a meeting.Monster You mention the importance of good grammar and spelling in communications. Is social media, which is inherently casual and often quickly executed the biggest culprit?Pachter It is certainly one of them. Though the workplace is more casual today, it is not okay for people to be unprofessional when using social media. Your reputation can be affected by the quality/content of your emails, posts, tweets and texts.Monster Should recruiters reject a great resume that includes a few typos?Pachter Whether they should or they shouldnt is not the question. They do Recruiters will reject a resume with typos in it.Consider this One typo may be overlooked, but if there are three, four or more errors, it sends a message that you are not paying attenti on to the details.And why would I want to hire you if you make a lot of mistakes?Monster Is it up to employers to train their new workers in soft skills that may often be missing?Pachter Yes. Employers want their employees to be the best they can be. Having employees who have soft skills have the competitive edge. They can effectively establish relationships, communicate more clearly and interact more professionally and politely (whether on the phone, in-person or with social media) with internal and external customers.Author BioBarbara Pachter is president of Pachter Associates. The Essentials of Business Etiquette How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet your Way to Success (McGraw-Hill, 2013) is her 10th book. She is an internationally renowned business etiquette and communications speaker, coach, and author who has delivered more than 2,100 seminars throughout the world. For more information, visit pachter.com.

You Dont Need a Career Path to Get Ahead -The Muse

You Dont Need a Career Path to Get Ahead -The MuseYou Dont Need a Career Path to Get Ahead Theres almost a 75% chance that your current jobs unrelated to your college major. You spend four years sweating for that BS in accounting...only to end up as a field sales rep for a pharmaceutical company.You break your back for your BA in herunterkommen European History...and now youre a fleet manager for a rental car company.Or, in the case of Lindsay Moroney, you follow your heart and obtain a degree in Art History, and then through a series of twists and turns, you find yourself the VP of Strategy and Operations at The Muse.Moroney, a recent guest on the Happen to your Career Podcast, is a perfect example of someone who hopscotched her way to her current position, going from pre-med to art history to a job in the art industry before landing, quite happily its worth adding, in her current role. She got ahead even when she didnt know where she was going.We discussed the idea that as much as we want to view our career path as one thats been laid out for us, illuminated by lights like an airplane runway, its really nothing of the sort. In fact, its a journey through a labyrinth, with myriad twists and turns and unlikely surprises along the way, and its OK if you dont have a career plan. You may wonder then, what is the point of setting goals, working hard, and ending up somewhere you never intended to be? How can you make progress if you continually break course? How can you be successful if you cant even follow a straight line?Heres the thing The more activities you participate in, the more people you meet, the more opportunities you grab hold of, the more likely you are to find something amazing along the way- regardless of (or maybe especially if), your path is quite windy. In the words of the inimitable Oprah Winfrey, Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Moroney and I (and, apparently, Oprah) are strong believers in saying yes to the next cool opportu nity, even if the end goal isnt abundantly clear. When I asked her how her career evolved, Moroney said, I didnt have an end goal in mind. I never thought, Well, if I do these things Ill end up at The Muse. Instead, her guiding light has been to look for new opportunities and chances to learn and grow. That just kept taking me on steps that were really wonderful, she says. So, how can you adopt this philosophy of action in your career? 1. Make Yes Your DefaultWhen your manager needs someone to take part in an interdepartmental project, volunteer. When you landsee that the internal documents needs updating, take on the task. Poke your head outside your cubicle and look around. You never know what youll find. It doesnt matter if a project or opportunity isnt the stuff of dreams not every single occasion is going to be the best thing ever. But embrace the less exciting moments, and youll reap the benefits learn a new skill, expand your experience, grow outside your comfort zone.2. Expa nd Your CircleConnect with people outside of your normal orbit. Get back in nichts von with your old high school friend whos now a record producer. Have lunch once a month with a former colleague, just to catch up. Talk to the guy sitting next to you at the dog park. Find commonalities and differences between your industries.An early connection through a friend of her fathers was able to show Moroney that a career in the art world was possible. She had turned a passion into a real job, Moroney recalls, and that was inspiring. Conversations with people who were living the life she imagined made her dream seem achievable. FIND A JOB THAT FITS YOUR PERSONALITY ...and awesome companies hiring nowFind Your Niche Right This Way 3. Give Serendipity Room to OperateNot all opportunities have to come from the office. Take that Spanish refresher course, volunteer for a cause you believe in, join a running group. The great thing about serendipity is that it can- and does- occur everywhere. Over 50% of the people who Ive helped make career changes have job offers that originated from chance encounters or relationships. So dont leave your career up to chance- create more opportunities for yourself, and see what you discover.For instance, Im a big fan of the airplane encounter. Sure, I could be silent the whole flight, focus on my iPad (Iman introvert, after all), and not strike up conversation with my seatmate, but then Id miss out on opportunities to meet people and expand my network. This is how and whereserendipityhappens.In sum, your path doesnt have to be linear from A to Z. What looks like a side trip may actually end up being your next great career move. It truly is as much about the journey as the end destination. As Moroney says, Ive just followed what Ive enjoyed and what Ive been passionate about. Things had a way of working out for her- and if you want to get ahead, youve got to stop stressing over the unplanned course of your career. Keep your life in motion an d your eyes open, and, chances are, itll work out for you too.Want to hear my entire conversation with Moroney on the Happen to Your Career Podcast? Click here to check it out.Still trying to figure out your path? Ditch the confusion for clarity by downloading The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Career That Fits You from Happen to Your Career.Here at The Muse, we love introducing you to people who can boost your career. We are working with this contributor on an affiliate basis (meaning we earn a little money when you choose to use their services), but rest assured that we dont just work with anyone. When it comes to articles like this, we chose to work with this coach not because he wanted a Muse byline, but because his advice was truly awesome. Heres to finding the career of your dreams