Feeling Like a Fraud How to Overcome Your Impostor Syndrome

Feeling Like a Fraud How to Overcome Your Impostor Syndrome Do you ever get that niggling feeling that youre going to be exposed as a complete fraud in the job you do? Are you a  normal person in relatively normal job who has an impending sense of doom that youre going to be exposed for the fraud  you  really are? Whether you feel like  youre not qualified enough, good enough or winging your way through life: its time to change your thinking. If youre a spy, or an undercover detective however, you can resume business as normal, this articles not for you. 1) Case study yourself Whenever youre feeling extra fraudulent, take a look back into the case study of your career. Remind yourself of your successes and experiences. You actually know what youre talking about, believe it or not! It can even be useful to keep a physical file of these things collect peoples comments, emails and testimonials. This way, youll never forget how good you actually are. If you need reminders, go ahead and ask people around you what they think. 2) Dont compare your insides to other peoples outsides Comparing yourself to others is where impostor syndrome begins! Its most definitely easier said than done, but if youre able to avoid comparing yourself to others youll feel much better for it. TOP TIP: Stop reading the biographies of successful people. Nobody Knows What Theyre Doing http://t.co/yKxONgaAqy. Dont compare your insides to other peoples outsides! pic.twitter.com/AAHMUxTOSt Lili Millar (@lili_millar) February 17, 2015 3) Perfection aint real Constantly striving for perfection is both tiring and a strain on your mental health. Perfection doesnt exist youre chasing something youll never catch. Instead, work on improving parts of you that already exist. Focus on the value you bring already. 4) Talk it out If you feel like a genuine fraudster why not out yourself to your colleagues and friends and let them know how you feel. Talking about situations at work (and life in general!) often makes them easier to figure out than if you were to handle them alone. A problem shared is a problem halved. 5) Forget the fear of looking foolish Sometimes, the fear of looking foolish can stop you  from taking the actions you need to reach an end goal. Its a ridiculous and irrational fear to have, but its one that we all share at some point in our lives. When youre worried about doing something because youre nervous youll look foolish, its important to recognise this feeling and work on it. If you can recognise your irrational thoughts its easier to handle them. I have written 11 books, but each time I think, Uh-oh, theyre going to find [me] out now,'- Maya Angelou. 6) Own it Sometimes, when you practice something for so long it can work its way into your daily life. Something that is pretty useful to be fraudulent about is your confidence. If you enter a situation and pretend your confident, its going to come across well, and in the end, youll be a little more confident than you were before. Do this multiple times and youll actually find your confidence levels improving. 7) Learn, learn, learn Impostor syndrome is sometimes a product of low confidence in your work. Keep on top of your game by diving in to as many learning experiences as you can. Attend conferences, sign up to evening courses or simply read a new book. This will keep you on the ball! Everyone feels the effects of impostor syndrome at one point or another in their life. The trick is to recognise and work on overcoming it.  Do you have any tips on overcoming impostor syndrome? Let us know in the comments below. Main image credit: Shutterstock

The Ultimate Accessory from Chic to Casual

The Ultimate Accessory â€" from Chic to Casual Every woman knows that a pair of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace can complete her outfit, but pearl bracelets usually get left behind as an accessory only for the rich and famous. However, there is no outfit that couldn’t benefit from the addition of a pearl bracelet. From multiple strands to a single one, from high fashion black-tie to a casual jeans-and-tee combo, a pearl bracelet is the ultimate accessory. Sometimes the idea of pearls evokes the image of a sweater twinset that your grandma loved to wear to church â€" not anymore. Today’s pearl fashions are funky and fabulous, bringing vintage flair to seasonal trends. From black pearls to freshwater varieties in different shapes and sizes, pearls are no longer relegated to your grandma’s jewelry box. If you’re more of a casual gal, try a multiple strand pearl bracelet with your next jeans and t-shirt ensemble. Want to look a little more streamlined? Add a cuffed, fitted blazer to your look and you’ll be sure to turn heads everywhere you go. Going out for a night on the town? A single strand pearl bracelet can be the perfect finishing touch to your LBD, which will look just as good resting on the bar as it will dancing the night away with your friends on the dance floor. Obviously, a pearl bracelet is the perfect accessory for your wedding bouquet as well. Bring an extra level of class and sophistication to your wedding-white ensemble with a single strand bracelet complete with a diamond or silver clasp. Want to go for a little more punk rock look? Mix and match your pearl strands with metal chains and leather bands for a look that’s reminiscent of high fashion glossy pages, and you’ll leave people wondering whether your personality matches your sense-of-mystery outfit. No matter what you’re wearing, you don’t have to reserve your pearl bracelets to only be worn with matching earrings and a necklace. Instead, pair your pearl bracelet with jewelry that you love that coordinates without looking too matchyâ€" it will give your outfit flair without looking dated and old-fashioned. From leather pants to a flowing skirt to your favorite pair of jeans, a pearl bracelet can complete your outfit in a way that no other accessory can. Long gone are the days when pearls were reserved for old ladies and retired movie stars (hello Audrey Hepburn!); with today’s fashions, you’re sure to find something that fits your personal style. Channel your inner movie star and get your glamour on with a timeless and classic pearl bracelet.

Cultivating a More Successful Work Ethic for 2016 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Cultivating a More Successful Work Ethic for 2016 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Miracles in business don’t just happen. Opportunity never seeks us. Rather, we must seek it. Needless to say, the only way to make a goal become a reality is to stick to a proposition and see it through to the end. Seeing a task through to completion regardless of how difficult it is to achieve is the definition of grit and will. However, at some point in our lives, we all fall behind and attainment of our professional goals seems more and more distant. Regardless of where we stand, there are certain things we can do to ensure that we begin cultivating successful habits for 2016 and beyond. Our recruiters have listed key strategies below. Begin to see hard tasks in a different light. While many individuals view difficult work as mundane, stressful or overbearing, begin to realize that the harder the task, the greater the reward. When you think in terms of the positive result that will come from completion of a job, that work becomes more engaging and gratifying. Learn to regulate impulses and emotions. One of the most significant barriers to success is the inability to control strong impulses and emotions such as anger, passion, excitement, hatred or nervousness. When you find yourself in these types of emotional states, it is nearly impossible to concentrate. When you cannot concentrate, you cannot accomplish any meaningful tasks and, in time your inability to finish more complex jobs wears on our confidence and overall productivity. Keep your mind fixated on one thing at a time. Achieving worthwhile, complex goals requires a laser-like focus. Therefore, in order to achieve your full potential, you must learn to make sure that your attention does not wander. Gaining control of your concentration levels takes practice and it begins with holding your mind on whatever you are doing. Regardless of how complex or simple a task is, it is imperative to get into the habit of fixating on that action and nothing else. This means, for example, that when you have a conversation with a co-worker, your thought does not leave that discussion. Gain control of your body in order to gain control of your mind. Actions are expressions of the mind. When the mind is uneasy, restless or erratic, so is the body and vice versa. Therefore, get into the habit of combating negative thoughts by engaging in deep breathing exercises. When overwhelmed, take a moment to stand on your feet with your chest out and take a deep inhale. Moreover, engage in exercises that give you better control of your ears, fingers, eyes and feet. Define what you want to achieve in detail. Instead of wanting to make more money” or “get a job in marketing,” strive to “make $60,000” or “obtain a digital marketing position in healthcare.” When you spell out your goals in vivid detail, you begin to see what activities will get you to where you want to be and which serve little to no purpose. In the End It’s not intelligence nor is it education that will ultimately determine your ability to succeed in 2016. Rather, your beliefs, your actions and the habits you acquire will lead to advancement or stagnation.

Turning Posts Into Positions The Rise of Social Media Recruitment

Turning Posts Into Positions The Rise of Social Media Recruitment Guest Post by  Gabe Duverge According to  Career Builder, 52 percent of employers now use social media networking sites as a part of the recruiting process. This figure is up 13 percent in just two years. It’s becoming clear that social media recruiting is on the rise. With so many human resources professionals using it as a tool to  discover potential employees, understanding the process and how to go about it professionally is important. Emergence of Social Media Recruitment The explosion of social media recruiting came as a result of the recession. With millions of Americans losing their jobs, the talent pool grew more and more competitive. Luckily for employers, they now had a new resource â€" social media â€" to use to their recruiting advantage. By then LinkedIn was commonplace, and online job posting sites were the norm. The practice had an effect on both candidates and businesses. Job seekers were able to use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to find potential opportunities, while employers used them to ensure potential employees were qualified. Social media also allows candidates to see the experiences of current and former employees, both positive and negative. Any bad experiences will be reflected on websites like Glassdoor and could have an impact on whether someone applies to a company. Conversely, recruiters can use these websites to understand the past of potential candidates and gain a better understanding of them. In addition, mobile platforms have enhanced social media recruiting. With smartphones and tablets, recruiters and candidates can search anywhere and anytime. This has made it easier for candidates to find potential opportunities, but more difficult for recruiters needing to reach a more mobile audience. Social Media Recruiting Strategies Each social network offers different resources for recruiters to take advantage of. Some like LinkedIn have options geared toward recruiters, while others can just help present a better picture of what a candidate is like. Across All Platforms Before focusing on individual social networks, it’s important that you have a few basics nailed down. It’s imperative that your job board uses social media integration. This will allow you to easily share job postings and direct potential recruits to the job board directly. You should also ensure that you have a brand identity across all platforms that properly identifies you as the recruitment arm of the company. If this identity isn’t unique from the larger umbrella, then it could confuse applicants and distract them from learning more. You should also ensure that your social media strategy involves diverse content. Your goal across all platforms is to entice potential talent not just through job postings, but also through a conversation about the company. While looking through job information, applicants should be able to learn more about life at this company. They should learn from news, first-hand accounts and other information that this is a place they want to work. LinkedIn Being a business-oriented social network, LinkedIn has a service designed just for recruiters. It allows recruiters to run detailed searches on the exact kind of candidate they’re looking for and gives access to the candidate’s entire profile. Recruiters can search by location, previous employers and job titles, education and much more. This ultimate tool for recruiting can be steep (starting at $2,220 per quarter), but it is the ideal resource for any recruiter. LinkedIn also offers extensive job posting capabilities for businesses, and the company has recently purchased several job-seeking services. Expect LinkedIn to expand its job posting capabilities as it attempts to become a one-stop shop for business professionals. Twitter For some companies, Twitter is a great way to recruit and reach candidates with progressive skills. Twitter allows companies to share available jobs quickly and efficiently. There are several hashtags used by job seekers to congregate opportunities including #TweetMyJobs and #JobSearch. The best part about using Twitter for recruiting is that it’s free. This makes it ideal for smaller companies unable to invest large amounts of money in recruiting software or services. Facebook While it may not seem like the right platform for recruiting, Facebook’s massive user base makes it hard to ignore. Recruiters who use Facebook effectively can reach an audience uninterested in the rat race of LinkedIn. Because Facebook is a more personal network, it allows recruiters to appeal to a potential candidate on a different level. Furthermore, Facebook helps recruiters improve the brand of their company, especially among students not yet involved in many other social networks. Success Stories Some companies have become quite strong at using social media recruiting to attract candidates. These four  organizations have become an example for others to follow and are leading the trend. UPS According to its  website, UPS employs 354,000 in America alone. Ensuring that its workforce is at full employment is a big task, and UPS uses all platforms to highlight the unique value proposition for potential employees. UPS social media accounts seek out applicants from a broader audience than what traditional recruiting would bring in. UPS highlights volunteer efforts, an ambitious tuition reimbursement program and the company’s diverse employee base. The UPS accounts are an excellent example of showcasing how your company is different than other employment experiences. Disney Everyone associates Disney with fantasy and dreams, so it’s not surprising to see that’s a focus of its  social media  recruiting. The company highlights the dreamer spirit behind its history and encourages potential applicants to learn more with the idea that it is a “dream come true.” By appealing to the desires of applicants, Disney is able to play to a strength that other companies cannot. For some, working at Disney is truly an opportunity to live a dream, and its  social media reflects that. L’Oreal The world’s largest cosmetics and beauty company has  invested heavily  in social media recruiting. L’Oreal spreads an inviting message across all social media channels and in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. The company uses several accounts directed at various age groups, from recent college graduates to longtime professionals. On Twitter, L’Oreal created a careers account, where the company regularly posts jobs and information about its culture. Sodexo Among the leading providers in food and facilities management,  Sodexo  is able to capitalize on social media recruitment in spaces that bigger names are unable to. The company focuses on displaying employee culture as a community atmosphere. Sodexo’s employment page features a blog with content intent on convincing potential candidates to apply. The blog is a big part of the company’s Facebook career page, which engages users with contests and videos. By focusing on the concept of community, Sodexo offers potential candidates a better understanding of what it’s like to work for the company. Implementing Social Media Recruiting Recruiters must use social media to attract top talent for open positions in today’s competitive job market. Learn the best recruiting practices and much more at Concordia University Texas in the  online BBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management  program. This affordable and fully online program can help you take the next step in your journey to become a skilled and knowledgeable human resources professional. Learn more today.

5 Resume Tips To Help You Effectively Use Your Professional Skills!

5 Resume Tips To Help You Effectively Use Your Professional Skills!Resume tips are often not that important to your resume, if you don't fill it with unnecessary information. As a prospective employer, do you have any trouble filling out a resume? If so, you could be looking at the wrong resume format for you.Since there is no standard format for resumes, employers will need to consider your own uniqueness as a candidate to determine if they are hiring you or not. There are some format that should be avoided at all costs.o A resume without detailed educational information would not be enough to land you in the job you want. While it may be true that people can be well-educated and still get the job they are seeking, most jobs these days demand some kind of educational qualification. The last thing you want to do is come across as a non-prepared individual that does not know anything about the field they are applying for.o The resume format also needs to be filled with facts. If you a re looking for a job in retail sales, you need to be able to describe what you do, where you live, and what you are selling. Don't make them go through your resume trying to find out how you got your current position. If they ever want to hire you, you should have clear knowledge about your skills, experience, and what you can do for the company.o It is important to not only be able to give a prospective employer your experience, but also be able to give information about what you have accomplished. You will be hired for your previous work history, so be sure to list your job titles and positions. If you have information about volunteer activities, leadership roles, awards, community involvement, you need to add that to your resume.o Employers don't like to read an academic paper filled with information that is not relevant to their position and lack of education. They want to know that you are the right person for the job and can contribute in a positive way. The most successful re sume will include your education, experience, and present employer as well as information that would make them look good.If you have a resume that doesn't match any of these guidelines, you may be best to find a different resume format. Most resumes are formatted by hiring a professional company that knows how to make you look like a potential employee.In today's world, employers are not looking for individuals that are just out of school or graduates. These employers are looking for individuals that have been prepared to go to college and who have earned their degree. These people have much more experience than a fresh graduate and are just as likely to bring that experience to the table when they apply for a job.

5 Reasons Youre Miserable at Work and What to Do about It - Kathy Caprino

5 Reasons You’re Miserable at Work and What to Do about It Last week, I held a free teleclass for women on the “5 Reasons You’re Miserable at Work and What To Do About It,” based on key findings from my national research with scores of working women across the country and my book Breakdown, Breakthrough.   More than 90 women signed up for the call, and they confirmed yet again what so many women have been unable able to say out loud until now, which is, “I’m unhappy at work, but I’m not sure exactly why or what to do about it!” Whether you are a corporate professional, self-employed or in transition, if you need to find a different way to work, don’t worry. Help is on the way!   And you’re definitely not alone. Below are what I’ve found to be the top five reasons so many women are dissatisfied and unfulfilled at work, along with concrete tips to revise your situation and change course today. The top 5 reasons many women are miserable at work are â€" They find it impossible to balance work and family They suffer from chronic financial distress They struggle using skills and talents that aren’t “natural” to them They feel chronically undervalued and disrespected They experience little joy or positive meaning in their work If the above describes your experience, here are some tips to help you create an internal shift away from feeling trapped and disempowered, to feeling more confident, courageous and committed to making positive career change today (and feel free to write me at kathy@kathycaprino.com if youd like a download of the recording of the call). Tips for Positive Career Change: 1) Gain More Work-Life Balance Balance is not going to just fall in your lap.   You have to claim it, and commit to getting it.   How?   First, determine the three most important priorities you are committed to achieving in your personal and in your professional life.   What are the three things that are vital to you to bring about that matter more than anything else?   Formulate these in terms of “to be” statements such as “to be a loving mother or “to be a successful entrepreneur” or “to be a helper of others.” Uncover the three top achievements that you are longing to bring about in your life and work and that you will not compromise on.   Then commit yourself to these.   Discover where you are over-functioning (doing more than is necessary, more than is healthy, and more than is appropriate) in your life, your family, and work, and let go of doing too much and being perfect in the areas that don’t matter as much to you.   Once you take these steps, you’ll find that balance comes more easily to you, because you are being guided each day by the knowledge of what you want to create, and knowing you are 1000% committed to doing it. 2) Get Healthy with Your Money To get out of chronic financial distress, you must become intimately connected with your money and begin to recognize your real intrinsic worth.   First, create a solid budget with strong financial goals, and stick to it.   Examine your spending â€" are you buying things in order to soothe your soul?   If so, stop over-spending.   Look at your beliefs around money that you learned as a child from living with your family.   Are your beliefs about money positive or negative, expansive or constricting? Do you believe you deserve wealth and abundance, or are you ashamed of the money you have or don’t have?   Overall, the key to overcoming chronic financial distress is to heal your relationship with money through positive and healthy beliefs, actions, and choices.  Once you create a supportive money relationship, you will no longer stay in jobs that create financial distress or drain you of joy and energy.   You’ll know your worth, and begin claiming it, on your professional path and otherwise. 3) Use Skills that Are Fun and Natural   It’s vitally important to understand exactly what talents and skills are easy and fun for you to use, and then find a way (either in your existing job or in a new field or job) to tap these talents more frequently at work.   To get more in touch with what you love to do and what comes easily, take my free Career Path Assessment.   Figure out what you want to do more of, less of, and never again!   Often, what you love to do and what comes easily to you were apparent in your childhood, so start there.   What did you thoroughly enjoy as a kid that people noticed, admired and praised?   You might also realize in doing this exercise that just because you’re great at a task or endeavor at work doesn’t mean you like to do it!   The key to an easier and happier work-life is to use talents that come naturally and are fun to you, so that each day feels like a joy, not a struggle. 4) Claim Your Self-Respect If you’re chronically undervalued or mistreated at work and want people to change their treatment of you, you must start with SELF-respect.   How do you gain self-respect?   Through courageous action that inspires your own self-esteem â€" action that you know you should be taking, but haven’t found the nerve to take.   Now’s the time to become more authentic and real in your work. Speak up about who you are and what’s important to you.   Make yourself right, not wrong.   If you know something needs to be communicated, figure out a way to do it as soon as possible.   Find an advocate or mentor at work to help you speak up in the right way so that you will be heard and respected for your viewpoint.   Start enforcing your boundaries so that you know exactly what you will tolerate and accept from others, and what you won’t.   5) Find Work that Gives Your Life Joy and Meaning It’s a myth in our culture that we can’t make good money doing what we love.   However, it takes grit, determination, and courage to pursue a path that you love and to make it work for you financially.   If you want more joy and meaning and financial success at the same time determine what endeavors and activities make you joyful in your life, and begin today to bringing these forward.   The key is to understand 1) the essence of what you want, and then 2) find the right form of it. For instance, you might love to sing (as I do), and wonder if singing to earn money would make you happy.   To find out if a new path is right for you, research, research, research â€" interview people in the field, read all about the art and craft of singing professionally, take classes, find a mentor, and determine a way to “try it on’ before you leap.   You might discover that earning money singing as a full-time living isn’t for you, but you love to do on a part-time or hobby basis.   If t hat’s the case, join a volunteer or community singing group each week, and honor this as a heart-aligned endeavor.   If you discover that you want a different line of work from your current job, create a plan that allows you to 1) research thoroughly what you want to do, 2) “try it on” as a volunteer or on part-time basis, then 3) commit to moving toward this new path with a solid financial plan, support of family and friends (and a coach if you’d like one), along with a step-by-step blueprint for what it will take to reinvent your career. The Ultimate Outcome â€" Joy! It’s up to you to create a career that you love, and you can do it!   Start today.   Let the top five reasons you’re miserable at work be the catalyst you need to change your career and change your life.   Trust me on this one…when you step up to a path of building a career you love, youll expand to new heights you never thought possible.

Summary Sunday LinkedIn and Twitter Advice

Summary Sunday LinkedIn and Twitter Advice I love sharing articles on job search and career trends! On Sundays, I highlight my favorites from the week. This week, Im including two articles about social media. I know there are a lot of mixed feelings and opinions about these tools, but, hopefully, youll get some of your questions answered here.   5 Things Job Seekers NEED to Know About LinkedIn By Stacy Donovan Zapar on LinkedIn Stacys post provides five important reminders AND what you can do on LinkedIn to fix these things! You never know who your friends know. A small, limited network is an ineffective network. If you don’t think about keywords, you’ll miss the bus. Post and pray just doesn’t work. LinkedIn is so much MORE than just a resume database. If you liked her post, you can follow her on LinkedIn and on Twitter too! FYI, Stacy recently became part of the Zappos team heading up candidate experience and engagement! 4 Tips For Using Twitter To Land A Job by Miriam Salpeter It is probably time to stop saying you dont get it and dip your toe into Twitter. Miriam provides actionable tips on how to make the most of Twitter for your job search. What to tweet. Find great people to follow. Engage with people. Use a Twesume. The best place to keep track of Miriams advice is on her site, Keppie Careers. Top 25 Women To Follow On Twitter For Your Job Search And congrats to these career pros for making CEOWorld Magazines list. (If you take a look, youll see my name made the list too! Kinda nice, huh?) Keep Up-to-Date On Job Search and Career News! Follow here: Follow @careersherpa // < ![CDATA[ // < ![CDATA[ //