How to Use Smarterer for Personal Branding

How to Use Smarterer for Personal Branding Online skills tests platform  Smarterer describe themselves as a simple, fun, and authentic way for people to show what they know. Allowing users to take tests and assessments on a variety of subjects and skill areas, Smarterer score correct answers and rank the users. These scores can then be shared on their profiles and on social networks and other websites. It is an extremely useful tool for branding yourself throughout the internet, but it has to be done well or you will just be another profile on the website. Here is how to truly make the most of a brilliant personal branding opportunity. Signing up and getting started When signing up, users are given three options, to sign in using their Facebook account, LinkedIn account or Twitter account. For all three, the user needs to give Smarterer permission to post onto their account (ie onto the News Feed on Facebook and LinkedIn, and tweet via Twitter), for when users gain a great score in a test and want to share it with their friends. There is also the option to create an account with e-mail address and password, but if you want to link all your accounts together, using one of the other three options is easiest (it pulls all existing information from your account anyway, such as Name and Location, and saves the time spent filling it in manually). Once signed up, you will have an incomplete profile, and Smarterer will give you options to increase your percentage of completion (I added my location, company name and website to reach 85%). This is an extremely important task to do make sure that your profile is 100% complete. Input any necessary details, such as websites and location to make the most of using Smarterer the correct way, and so any recruiters who may stumble across your profile have all the necessary details about you right in front of them. It also gives your personal brand a more complete look, something which can work well with the test scores. Tests the basics Smarterer revoles around tests. There are tests for every subject Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, social media, Foursquare but you shouldnt be completing every single test. Its crucial to pick and choose the top 5 or 10 which you feel you could do really well in your specialities as such. Imagine it as similar to a Skills Expertise section on LinkedIn or a CV. Each test holds a number of questions, each with a difficulty rating  VE (Very Easy) / E (Easy) / M (Moderate) / H (Hard) / VH (Very Hard). Each rating holds a score, and when a user correctly answers a question that score is added to their total for that test. An incorrect answer will take away those points from the total, however users can save their score by leaving the test at any point. Once youve reached a certain score, you are upgraded to a new level of expertise. It doesnt take many questions to be upgraded  on the Facebook test, it took me 2 correct answer to reach the Familiar level, 3 to reach Proficient and it wasnt long before I was Expert. I am now a Master of Facebook, and Smarterer describes this as Youre top tier! Only 2.5% of Smarterer users earn the Master level, and youre one of them. Be careful though too many incorrect answers and you can be downgraded a level! Pick your tests wisely It is crucial to pick and choose your tests wisely. Dont complete every test to the Expert and Master levels because others will think youre showing off or had help with the answers. Pick tests that will correlate with past jobs or future job opportunities you may want dont complete all the social network tests to Master level if youre looking for a high position office job. Smarterer have a very useful tool where users can select which test results are viewable on their profiles. When deciding which results to make public, ensure there are a range of tests and skills shown on your profile. Dont show every single result, but have a few basic skills in the Proficient section, and one or two in the Familiar section. You will want a recruiter to look at your profile and see a wide range of skills at different levels no-one will be perfect at everything, and some people will have a good enough level in the necessary skill sets. Additionally, make sure there is one or two speciality skills that other may not have or may not be good in. For example, if youre a great recruiter, reach Expert level in the Recruitment test and put that on your profile! There is a final option of promoting your scores on your blog or website using the Smarterer box or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The possibilites are endless these tests are recognised as a fair way of showing your skills why not use the results? Conclusions Smarterer is still in the beta process but it is a brilliant resource for personal branding! Make sure your profile is complete even write a bio to gain it 100% completion. Add any necessary location information or websites which may help recruiters find you. Pick your tests wisely dont complete all the tests which show you spend too much time on Facebook or Twitter and nothing else. Have a range of tests and skill levels have a few test scores at lower levels, and a few at Expert you dont want to be showing off, but you want to use your variety well. Share your profile, put your skills on your CV, and invite friends via Facebook and Twitter. I really enjoyed testing out Smarterer and think it is a fantastic idea and website. Have you given it a go? Whats your best score and in which subject? Related: Top 5 Psychometric Tests for Your Career Success.

Whats New at Ms. Career Girl - November 2011

Whats New at Ms. Career Girl - November 2011 In honor of Ms. Career Girl’s 3rd birthday and looking ahead to 2012, I decided to start an e-newsletter that will provide snippets of additional content to loyal readers like you.  Subscribers will be the first to hear about: Cool job business opportunities, events, books, products and communities I think youll love The inside scoop on what’s new at Ms. Career Girl and in my life â€" this stuff won’t be on the blog Discounts deals when I can find them! To receive our monthly email updates, enter your email to the right of this post () or put it in here.   In the meantime heres a preview of what the content will be like. Sincerely,  Nicole Crimaldi  READER  POLL We’ll be introducing #MsCareerGirl chat in the next few weeks.   Which day of the week would you be most likely to participate?  Leave your vote in the comments section. Monday Tuesday Wednesday SHOP BeBlissful Bags to be sold on MsCareerGirl.com! Any busy woman knows how hard it is to find the ideal work bag.   I’ve been on a long quest to find a bag that is both big enough AND stylish enough for my life. I’ve finally found one I LOVE and the owner has agreed to sell it here on Ms. Career Girl.   Your days of carrying a gym bag, work bag AND purse are coming to an end girls!   For more info, check out FashionWithASecret.com.  Stay tuned for a Shop page on MsCareerGirl.com coming soon! OPPORTUNITIES When I got laid off 4 months ago, I went into panic mode and became a Stella Dot Stylist in order to earn some extra money while I figured out my next move.   It turns out Stella Dot is an amazing company that has become a fun and lucrative side hustle for me.  It’s also pretty darn fun earning free designer-quality, celebrity-coveted jewelry for my hostesses and myself.   If you’re in transition or just looking for something fun to do outside of work, I’d love to talk to you about how to make some loot!   Email me at [emailprotected] or call me anytime at 630.988.9800.  BOOKS WORTH READING The Paris Wife is a story written from the perspective of Ernest Hemmingway’s first wife Hadley. It takes place in the morals-challenged era of 1920’s Paris.  I just read this for my book club and was totally hooked.   The book makes you examine your role as a career women, friend, woman and significant other. French Women Don’t Sleep Alone is a fun and  easy read about the mystery, elegance and  intrigue  of French women.  It talks about how French women incorporate their femininity, beauty and search for love in everything they do.  There is also a lot of  comparison  between how French women date and how American women date.  I found the differences to be quite interesting (for example online dating is huge in America where dating co-workers and family friends is huge in France).  If youve read this book, Id love to hear your thoughts in the comments section! COOL COMMUNITIES Sharp Skirts  is a fresh voice for women building businesses, a media brand and event producer that gives women the content and connections they need to build smart, successful companies.  Sharp Skirts  gathers the people you need to meet in one place, online and off, then links  you with companies that respect your buying power and business acumen. To get email updates, register here. She Owns It.  Behind every successful woman is her story, and that’s what  She Owns It  is all about.  This community is all about empowering women to write their own success stories!  Find your inspiration, gather your motivation and let  She Owns It  HELP YOU write your own success story. Is there an event, community, product, book or opportunity you think should be included in our next newsletter?  Email [emailprotected] to make a suggestion.   To get the latest udpdates, remember to sign up for our e-newsletter here.

Starting Up a YouTube Account To Grow Your Business Website

Starting Up a YouTube Account To Grow Your Business Website YouTube is a powerhouse of video and information. You can type almost anything into a YouTube search engine, and a video pertaining to that topic will come up. In fact, some individuals have even gained popularity and fame from creating a YouTube account. YouTube is a powerful source of engaging with people that sit behind their laptop screens. Even businesses should create YouTube channels and post their commercials and content on the website to reach the biggest audience possible. There are a few steps in creating a YouTube account, with the first being setting it up, followed by properly using it. The more content you post behind your branding, the greater the search engine optimization will be on Google. So, boost your SEO with YouTube content. Create an account The first step towards utilizing a YouTube business account is creating one. You can access this account through a personal account but is specifically designated for your brand or business. First, you must make a YouTube account on YouTube.com by signing in. Once made, you can click on your YouTube avatar in the top right-hand corner, select Creator Studio from the drop-down, select your avatar once again and click on the settings gear and create a new channel in the screen that opens. A business or brand account is different from a personal account in that you can add several managers and owners. After all, creating a successful YouTube business account may require the help of more than just one person. Use that YouTube account! Having set up your YouTube account, you must now promote it. YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google, and thus creating a presence on this platform will benefit any company. First, your video’s SEO must be optimized. You must choose the appropriate keywords wisely as it must be relevant to the video and its messaging.  If someone were to search for your video on YouTube, what words or phrases would best describe it? The keywords must be incorporated into the title of the video in addition to its description. Be clear and concise with your keywords. To reach a wider audience, you can also run ad campaigns. Using your YouTube account also means creating high-quality video content. While someone may have clicked on your video due to its title and availability in the search engine, they will not stick around if the video itself is lacking. To start, you can create YouTube intros with Adobe Spark. You don’t need to be an expert designer and video editor with the help of this app. The one factor you do want to ensure is that it looks professional. The opening of the video must persuade the audience to continue watching the video. Use the design interface of Adobe Spark and create a video opener that will leave a lasting impression. Naturally, the entire video should then continue to be of the same quality as the few opening seconds. SEO will place your content higher up in Google’s algorithm pages. YouTube is one of the many ways you can increase this SEO, especially when you are consistent with posting and use the appropriate keywords. A company has many benefits to gain from starting a YouTube account, so why not start now?

Customer Retention Strategies For All Business Types

Customer Retention Strategies For All Business Types It’s often been reported that it takes many more resources to acquire a new customer than it does to retain one â€"  as many as five times the amount of resources! That being said, most companies still choose to invest in exploring new target markets and finding new customers. This takes an extensive amount of research which eats up time, money and effort. What if even a small portion of those resources were instead devoted to customer retention? Customer retention is a highly important, yet often overlooked business aspect. Switching the focus to keeping customers rather than seeking new ones has proven to be a successful strategy for many companies. In fact, even a mere 5 percent increase in customer retention rates can drive profits by 25 percent. If your business has high customer turnover rates, you should look into fostering brand loyalty among your current consumers. They’ll be more likely to buy other products and services from you in addition to recommending your brand to others. So, how can you keep a customer for life? The best way to retain customers is to build your company’s culture around exceptional customer service. This includes working to resolve problems quickly, fostering genuine relationships with the customers and developing an overall consumer-oriented business model. That way it’s not seen as a forced endeavor to make the brand look better, but rather it’s something that’s built into the company’s DNA. There are many successful companies, as well as several startups, who are excelling at the game of customer retention. Nextiva recently published an article that covers 30 perfect examples of how these companies retain customers for life (we have also detailed some of the most important ones in the infographic below). For example, Patagonia helps create a community of like-minded people by launching programs designed to encourage their customers to recycle and reuse their clothing. Since their customer base is incredibly earth-conscious, they can build a bond over a shared concern for eco-friendliness. It’s important to make sure that customers feel heard and valued. Capital One did just that when they noticed a customer posted online about being unable to sign in to Capital One’s online portal due to spilled orange juice. The company sent the user a completely new keyboard with a handwritten note. Not only did their actions create a customer for life, but they inspired the consumer to share his positive experience with the brand. His heartening post went viral (meaning thousands of people saw or reacted to it) which could inspire others to bank at Capital One. Another great example is how Buffer has built its culture around providing exemplary customer service. They call their customer service agents “Happiness Representatives” and always make resolving customers’ issues a top priority. The risked their title coming across as cheesy or patronizing in order to convey their dedication to customer service. Of course, they had to legitimize the term “Happiness Representatives” through action or it would not have worked. Massive corporations can easily push sales and brand loyalty through grandeur actions and media coverage. But how can underdog small businesses with fewer assets compete? Startups can make these positive relations at a local level by becoming involved in the community or by creating a specialized community on social media. Finding niche markets are a great way for newer brands to make lasting connections with a specific audience. Expressing brand values through social media campaigns and other promotions can motivate consumers to stay loyal despite the enticement of larger businesses. There are so many ways that companies can go above and beyond the call of duty for their customers. Expending additional resources to increase brand loyalty and, therefore, customer retention will actually be cheaper than finding new customers. Thus increasing your profit margin. Nextiva has researched the six main ways to keep customers for life: create a community, provide excellent customer service, make the customer feel valued, associate your brand with a positive experience, keep customers interested and show them you want their business. The infographic below covers several creative ways that top companies have earned loyal customers â€"  and how your business can too! About the author:  Gaetano DiNardi is the Director of Demand Generation at Nextiva with a proven track record of success working with B2B SaaS brands like Sales Hacker, Outreach.io, and Pipedrive. Gaetano leverages a unique hybrid of expertise in both SEO Content Strategy to win business results. Outside of marketing, Gaetano is an accomplished music producer and songwriter.

#69 Recruiting Expert Series Employer Branding by James Ellis

#69â€" Recruiting Expert Series Employer Branding by James Ellis The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSForEpisode 69of The CareerMetis Podcast, we are introducing a new series of interviews geared towards Hiring Managers â€" i.e.Recruiting Expert SeriesToday we will be hearing and learning from James Ellis, whois an Employment and Talent Brand Strategist. He’s also the host of The Talent Cast Podcast.evalGuest Introduction â€" James EllisevalJames Ellis talks about employer branding, what it is, and who knows more about it than anyone else. He explains what factors into a person’s perception of an employer.He also gives an awesome examples of bad branding, and clarifies what branding is, and how to be aligned with your core message in order to create the proper fit.Episode Summary1. James Ellis talks about the competition in employer branding, and how crucial it is to build a strong one.2. He explains a few great examples of employer branding, and how it impacts the mentality of the job seeker.3. James describes how negative reactions deter people outside of your target audience, while positive reactions attract ideal applicants.4.James reinforces the strength of polarizing your employer brand, and why it’s not a good idea to stay what every other company is saying.5. People know what marketing looks like, and can negate a lot of what you say on your hiring material: He talks about ways to improve that experience for your potential applicants.6.He explains why it’s so vital to explain exactly who you are, and what you value in order to attract the right people. The good, the bad and the ugly.7. He describes every phase in which you need to inject your values and ideals in order to get the perfect fit.8. James wraps up by giving a strong description of employer branding and it’s time to get serious about it.Quotes“The people who have the best understanding of your employer brand is the employees themselves.”eval“It’s really about perception”⠀œThe problem is the talent is not attracted to your brand”“It’s not a lack of talent, it’s just hard to find and create that fit”“Companies that don’t have a strong employer brand have to lean on their salaries”“Any employer brand, no matter how negative to you, is positive to someone else”“An employer brand has to be strongly felt”Links ResourcesTo learn more about James Ellisand for additional resources, you can visit his site The Talent Cast, and listen to theThe Talent Cast Podcast.You can also connect with him or follow him on James EllisandTwitter.Intro Music provided courtesy ofAccelerated IdeasEnding Music provided courtesy ofAccelerated Ideas(www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€"No Need to Rush

Checklist for Spring Cleaning Your Job Search

Checklist for Spring Cleaning Your Job Search I am honored to be part of Career Collective, a  community of extremely talented resume writers and career coaches. Spring is just around the corner in some parts of the country.   Clean up your job search by reading these experts suggestions on “Re-Tooling / Re-Focusing / Organizing Your Job Search“. And, if you are on Twitter, please follow our hashtag: #careercollective. I  want to thank Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter (www.careertrend.net) and Miriam Salpeter (www.keppiecareers.com) for bringing this team of experts together. ______________________________________________________________ It is a bit too early to be using the word Spring in my neck of the woods, however, it is never too early to revamp your job search. As an aside, I dont ever vacuum or clean our house.   Yes, Ill do dishes and sweep up crumbs, but other than that, you really wont see me doing any other significant cleaning.   Thank goodness I have a husband who loves to clean. Well, maybe he doesnt love it all that much, but realizes if he doesnt do it, the house would be over-run with dinosaur sized dust balls.   It just isnt a priority of mine. I confess this because job search is something most of us dont like or want to do.   We arent skilled in it and we certainly dont have   a passion for it.   As a result, well, youve seen the result.   Read on and find tips that will help you to develop useful skills that will increase your knowledge and ability to job search better! Always take the time to assess what you want to do!   Always. If you havent done this yet, perhaps the one thing you can do is make sure that your goal is aligned with your current values, interests and developed skills. Use the right tool for the job: LinkedIn. Build your profile and figure out how to use this tool.   It allows you to stay connected with your past coworkers, supervisors, clients and vendors (no matter where they go), it allows you to develop an online presence which you control, it allows you to connect with others in your field, AND you might just get found if you are using the right key words. Polish a new resume for every job you apply for A shiny resume that doesnt explain why you are qualified for a specific job wont capture the readers attention. Customize your cover letter AND resume for each job. Scour the news not the job boards Instead of focusing (obsessing) over the job boards, spend more time collecting leads from the news. Disinfect your interview answers Practice, practice, practice out loud your answers.   Ask for honest feedback from people you respect. Corral all your supplies Have a designated work space, organize your electronic files by company, create and use a follow up system, use a calendar, keep track of passwords, in other words, be super organized. Check out new products Every day, technology improves systems and processes.   Here are some neat tools you might want to investigate.   I am currently using/playing with them all.  Rapportive, WiseStamp, StartWire, BranchOut, about.me. Whistle while you work Keep a healthy and positive outlook (easier said than done, I know) but, frustration, anger, and depression all have a way of seeping into conversations. Here is a list of supplies to check out to make your spring cleaning easier: Online Interest Profiler from O*Net LinkedIn Learning Center from LinkedIn Interview Questions to practice Industry News Letters from SmartBrief Online Tracking System from JibberJobber What are you going to do to spring clean your job search? Personal Branding to Fire Up Your Job Search, @DebraWheatman Succeeding in a “Final Jeopardy!” World, @WalterAkana 5 Steps to Retool Jumpstart Your Job Search, @erinkennedycprw Your Job Search: Lets Just Start Again Shall We? @GayleHoward 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Job Search, @heatherhuhman Ten Surefire Ways to Organize Your Job Search, @KatCareerGal Put Spring Into Your Job Search, @EliteResumes @MartinBuckland Toes in the Water, @ValueIntoWords How to Revitalize a Stale Job Search, @KCCareerCoach How to re-think your job search, @Keppie_Careers Wake Up and Smell the Flowers: Spring Cleaning Your Resume, @barbarasafani Spring Cleaning and Your Personal Brand, @resumeservice Spring clean your mind clutter first, @DawnBugni Managing Your Career 2.0: On Giving Something Up To Get It Right, @Chandlee

How To Create A Resume Using Resume Templates

How To Create A Resume Using Resume TemplatesResume templates are an easy way to create a professional looking resume. There are numerous online resume templates available for use by employers and individuals, which allow them to easily create a custom resume in a matter of minutes. It is not necessary to spend hours on resume building. The important thing is to ensure that the information on your resume is true and accurate.Resume templates help you create a resume in a matter of minutes. With so many online websites to choose from, it can be difficult to find a unique template. This is because there are numerous resume templates available for free online. But, this may not necessarily be the best solution to your resume needs. Before choosing a template, make sure that you have thoroughly researched which templates are worth your time and money.The key to creating a good quality resume is to choose a template that is not only informative but also fun to use. In this way, your resum e will be more effective and will increase your chances of getting a good job interview. The beauty of creating a customized resume is that you can add your own creativity to it. It is essential that you focus on what makes you unique and what really matters.Resume templates do not have to be boring. You can have an engaging design that will inspire people to want to read through the entire page. It is also important that the resume contains clear headings, bullet points, and bolded phrases.Remember that your resume should also highlight important points on the front side. Also, make sure that you include contact information. This information should be concise and clearly present.Look for a resume builder that allows you to add multimedia to your resume. For example, you can add videos, images, graphs, and audio. This will allow you to customize your resume as much as you want.You should also check out the terms and conditions when using a resume builder. For example, it is not advi sable to use a resume builder that requires you to create your resume entirely from scratch. This is because you could make mistakes. Also, it is not required to hire a resume builder if you are not satisfied with the results of the software.Take some simple steps to begin improving your resume. Once you get it right, you will be surprised how you improve your chances of getting a good job interview.