5 Lessons We Can Learn from Famous Failures

5 Lessons We Can Learn from Famous Failures Failure is part of life and definitely part of success.  Most of the incredibly successful people we know have all had their fair share of failures some small, some monumental. But what it did do was teach them something and gave them a springboard to bounce off and learn from. Its easy to give up and stop trying but the secret here is to carry on, no matter how hopeless the situation looks or feels. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs you know did this, and now theyre riding success knowing they overcame endless failures and disappointments. But, when everything feels hopeless, how did they overcome the failure? Ive compiled a list of some familiar faces and their stories from failure to success: 1) Oprah Winfrey: Oprah Winfrey is a great example of someone who turned their adversity into success over many years. She started off  life in a difficult place, but transformed her situation, majored from university and then continued to experience a continual cycle of failure and success which eventually led her to having a number one talk show, and being named the most powerful woman in the world. No matter how difficult your  situation is, if you work hard enough you can overcome even the most adverse situations. Perseverance is key dont give up. 2) JK Rowling: JK Rowling is a fantastic example of a bad situation being turned around. In her own words,  â€œI had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew. After concentrating for hours and hours on her book, it finally paid off and her talent was recognised -but this was only after numerous publishers declined to print the book.  Today, she is the 13th wealthiest woman in Britain. Let your creativity run riot. Use your adversities to your advantage 3) Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs is one of the most influential and innovative thinkers in recent years. He was fired from Apple Inc, the company he actually founded with Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak. In a thought provoking quote from Steve Jobs himself, we learn the power of failure:  â€œI didn’t see it then, but it turned out that  getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.  The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything.  It freed me  to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” Embrace failure with open arms. Remember that its just an opportunity to begin something different 4) Walt Disney: Its crazy to think that one of the most ingenious and creative thinkers was once told that he lacks creativity. Disney was forced to close his first animation studio named  Laugh-O-Gram Films.  Disney then found his way to Hollywood, where his films gained steady popularity. Today hes one of the most famous  names in the world, with his movies and theme-parks loved by children and adults alike. Go with your gut. If you feel like youre doing the right thing, go with it, despite what anyone else may say. Nothing of value ever comes easy. You must work for it, through adversity. 5) Vincent Van Gogh: Vincent Van Gogh, the genius artist, never knew of his own success. By only selling one painting in his life, he was dubbed a failure   and after years of suffering with mental illness and failed relationships, the artist committed suicide at the age of 37. After his death, he became one of the leaders of the post-impressionism movement and is one of the greatest artists of all time. He would never know that despite feeling like a failure, he is now known as one the best artists in the world, with his work being held in the most esteemed galleries and shared all over the world. Success can come when you least expect it. Work hard and be humble. The greatest block to creativity is fear of getting something wrong.

The 7 Dwarfs Giants of Video CVs

The 7 Dwarfs Giants of Video CVs Even though we’re living in the future, the most common CV is still the old school A4 with matching Arial layout. Pretty standard, and it does the job, we get it. However, why would you be satisfied with a simple piece of paper, when you can turn your CV into a BOMB video?! Nope, I’ve got nothing, do you? We’ll give you some inspiration; here are seven supercalifragilisticexpialidocious video CV examples! 1. The Best Video CV Ever First thing: this could either be really good or really bad. Well, this isn’t the first one in our list for no reason: if you only have time to see one video CV, let it be this one. Press play: Mark is taking the ultimate piss out of himself but like a Hollywood trailer. He tells us about his education, work experience and hobbies in a fun and fresh kind of way. If you’re going to be extra, try to keep this one in mind. With over 300.000 views counting on YouTube, Mark used this viral video to get him his dream job! Hallelujah to that! 2. The Google Desperation CV Yes, this title screams a desperate candidate. However, nothing is what it seems! This fellow is nothing but desperate, he knows what he wants is going for a job in the Google marketing team in full speed. Let’s not forget to mention the incredible moustache on his face! With over 1.5 million hits, this video CV is on top of the list. So well done, Matthew, well done. 3. The Practice Interview CV Alex is really putting up an acting sketch in this video CV. She’s interviewing herself for an interview whoa confusing we know! But so much fun to watch! Check out Alex, who got tired of paper CVs and pressed the record button to stand out more. Oh and totally forgot to eat whilst editing it, hmm, we’ve heard that one before 4. The Desperate Adam CV Meet Adam: he’s unemployed. The horror, as all potential candidates will say. Although this video can be a bit cringey sometimes, we were way too curious to see how it ended. Take a look at it yourself and trust us, it will get better throughout the video! 5. The Dropbox CV Nothing worse than trying to explain something that no one understands. This happened to Todd Cavanaugh. He tried to explain the concept of Dropbox to his grandparents in this, we have to admit, very relatable video CV: 6. The Clickbait CV At first this seems too good to be true, and to be honest, it was. This is supposed to be a candidate’s video CV, but at the end it turns out to be about a call centre company. We kept the video in the list, because we have to say it did hit the nail on the head! 7. The Barney Stinson CV You’d think that the only ones making video CVs are candidates? Well, think again. If you’re a fan of the series “ How I Met Your Mother” you’re going to absolutely love this. Here’s Barney Stinsons hilarious video CV: So here we are; 7 examples that might inspire you in any possible way! Getting creative is what we’re all about. So, what are you going to do for your video CV? Heading towards the fun stuff or is this too much for you? If you really want to take it to the next level, you could put up a website link it to your video. Feel like video is already overrated? You’re wrong!

The Virtual Talent Pool The Next Level Of Competition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The ‘Virtual’ Talent Pool The Next Level Of Competition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Guest post by Todd Rhoad Background According to Charles Grantham and James Ware, executive producers of Work Design Collaborative LLC, an estimate of 12% of the working population serves their organization as part of a distributed workforce. This estimate is expected to grow to 40% by 2012. This trend ushers in the changing face of corporate America. Companies no longer need to have a facility that workers shuffle in and out of everyday to accomplish their work. We are a knowledge-based service industry now. With the advancements in information and communication technology, organizations are reducing the cost of building and maintaining workspace by creating a ‘flexible’ work environment for employees. This includes flex time, telecommuting, and several others. This new face of business is known as the Virtual Organization (VO). No cubicle required Example DELL computer company in Austin, Texas, has taken this a step further and outsourced much of their work overseas to countries like China, Malaysia and Ireland. DELL also taps into local companies and satellites offices to aid in the production of its computers. Either way, they are able to tap into talent that isn’t in Austin, TX. This distributed group of talent ensures they can make the best product and deliver it at the best price while reducing the cost of operations. Other companies, such as Cisco, are following suit. The huge savings in operations is driving the trend to go VO. So what does this mean for the rest of us? It means the competition pool has just exponentially grown in size. Are you ready to face the competition? Employees from around the world will be competing with us for that next job and they won’t even have to leave the house to get it. As current VOs achieve and share their success, more organizations will follow. In traditional organizations, potential new hires don’t have the issue of competing head to head with those outside the US. This is because the company doesn’t usually move its operations around. In the VO, this isn’t the case. VOs move operations to other regions to reduce cost (e.g. reduce taxes, lower labor rates). There is no job security As the VOs follow the savings by “picking up and moving,” employees will turnover at much faster rates. Companies will see an increase in new hires and employees will see an increase in the jobs held in their career. New hires will also have to seek jobs they are clearly qualified for; that is to say, they’ve worked in that position or industry before. VOs won’t invest in training new employees and will seek the best skills for the job. The task of finding the right people will be left to companies local to the new location of the company facility. This will render the job unreachable by many US applicants as the local firms will favor local people. VOs usher in new challenges to new hires. Employees face the ever-mobile company that will hire the best talent wherever it may be. When its local talent they need, outsourced firms will hire their own. Shorter jobs, more competition and local favor are becoming the flavor of the day. Todd Rhoad is an author and speaker specializing in Career Development Strategies. He is the author of Blitz the Ladder and another soon to be released book Virtual Organizations: 75 Things Your Career Should Know and speaks frequently at colleges, businesses, conferences, and organizational associations. Todd is the managing director of BT Consulting and holds both a MSEE and MBA.

Five Ways to Improve Your Career Networking Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Five Ways to Improve Your Career Networking Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Networking is the #1 way people get new jobs and advance their careers. And yet, few people have been professionally trained in  networking strategies and skills.  I want you to become  a more effective networker so you can  improve you career and income! If you read my last post, Five Ways Your Networking Is Hurting Your Career, then you gained  some initial ideas  for improving your networking results. In this post, I want to dig  deeper  into this subject and provide you  specific  suggestions that I have seen many clients utilize to their advantage.  Their results improved and I believe the following ideas can also benefit you in the five areas outlined The first topic I mentioned in my last post was that most people dont do enough networking. Provided you are conducting  productive networking activities, then it seems  obvious that more activity will produce more results or produce them faster. The most productive networking activities, if done right, are one-on-one meetings and (for remote contacts) one-on-one pre-planned telephone conversations. I recommend 10 of these per week for  demanding situations, such as when you are unemployed and spending all your time looking for your next job. A second reason I suggested people are hurt by networking was that people may come across as  self-centered and turn others off. This is especially true of unemployed job seekers. One way to determine if this is a problem  is to examine what percent of your meeting times your are  talking. Pay attention in your calls and meetings to  monitor  how you are doing. If you are talking the majority of the time, then it is very possible the other person will see you as self-centered and be less motivated to help you. A third way  career opportunities may be diminished while networking  is by  not making  effective requests for action from the people you  meet.  If you  say things such as let me know if you hear of something is a  non-specific request and  it is highly likely your phone will never ring. Instead, ask for specific help while you have the person engaged, such as Who do you know in any of my  companies of interest? Would you be willing to make a personal introduction of me to them? A fourth reason your networking may not be working  is because you fail to have a pre-planned agenda that guides your networking  conversations. I cant tell you how many times I have met with job seekers (and even sales people and business owners) who ramble on and on  without seeming to be getting to the point. If you requested the meeting or call, then you are responsible for  the agenda and for staying on track. This insures your  important topics get covered while being  considerate of the other persons time. There are dozens of  other networking factors  that can contribute to poor networking  results, but the fifth  and last item I mentioned in my last  blog was that people  fail to follow up in a timely manner. In my experience, this has reached epidemic proportions. If you owe someone an action, get it done sooner rather than later and advise them you have completed it.  One great strategy is to come away from every networking meeting or call with at least one thing to do for the other person. By giving back and doing it promptly, you model  the behavior you want from the other person and thus  encourage them to do the same for you. Networking is a deep subject and, next to job interviewing, is probably the most important skill area that can benefit job seekers and others wanting more from their careers. It is a subject in my career book and I am producing  an upcoming video series on it. If you like your employer, why not network to find a better, higher-paying job in another workgroup? If you dont like your employer, crank up your networking and move on!

How to Use Resume Phrases Effectively to Get the Job You Want

How to Use Resume Phrases Effectively to Get the Job You WantWhen you're trying to get a job, writing resume phrases is one of the things that most employers look for when they're considering someone for an opening. You can't just make up resume phrases for yourself, you need to find them and use them correctly if you want to make an impression on your prospective employer.Writing resume phrases isn't as easy as writing an essay or coming up with a catchy sales copy. There are many factors to consider before you start to write your resume. You'll need to determine what the job is, what the employer is looking for, and what skills you possess that would make you a good fit for the job.Resume phrases are not as much a question of 'what' you should put but 'why.' The person who's writing the resume will have specific requirements that will help determine what they're looking for in their future employee. If the hiring manager is looking for someone with experience, for example, then the y will likely ask for a 'career experience' type of resume.Some people will write resumes for different reasons. If you've been laid off from your previous job, you might need to use a resume phrase to explain how you got laid off. If you are new to the job market, or you've never been employed before, a resume phrase can be the answer to the question 'why are you looking for a job?'Writing resume phrases can be done by anyone and is a great way to make a resume stand out and to get noticed. A skilled writer can come up with unique and memorable phrases that will give you a leg up on other applicants.But you need to know how to use resume phrases correctly. The first thing to do is understand how employers think. After that, you can find the phrases that will tell your potential employer why they'rehiring you and what they want to see in a resume.This includes the skills you have and what the position is asking for. A writing resume needs to be concise, to the point, and informative . To impress your employer, you need to make sure that your resume is a professional presentation.Using resume phrases correctly is the key to getting a job. There are many options for writing resume phrases, so make sure that you have a few prepared. Use these carefully to give you a head start on the competition.

Interview Questions YOU Can Ask

Interview Questions YOU Can Ask Asking questions during the job interview is important, yet most people have difficulty asking good, meaningful questions. Here are interview questions YOU can ask during your next interview! In order for you to ask thoughtful questions, you must research the company as well as the people you will be interviewing to ensure you are really ready for your upcoming interview. Your research (conducted online and through speaking with people) should enable you to ask more specific questions. Remember, an interview should be an exchange of information, not an interrogation by either party involved. And ALWAYS have questions to ask during your job interview because it shows your interest in the job! Here are questions you can ask during the interview as a candidate to learn more about the job and determine if you are interested. Basic Questions These questions are good to ask during the pre-screening phone interview or in the early stages of the interviewing process. Gathering the answers early will allow you to ask better follow up questions later on and have a better sense of what skills you may need to emphasize, what cultural issues need further exploration and some of the areas you have room to negotiate. What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years? How do you see the future for this industry? What do you consider to be your companys most important assets? What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth? How do you rate your competition? Could you describe a typical day or week in this position? The typical client or customer I would be dealing with? What are the most important elements of this job? What are the three main factors you will be using to determine the right person for this job? Why is this position available? What did the last person in this position go onto do â€" and what were they like? How is job performance evaluated at your company, and how often? What was it about my qualifications that most appealed to you for this role? More Specific Questions These questions allow you to dig deeper into the job requirements and expectations and are best asked of your future manager. Could you tell me about the way the job has been performed in the past? And, what improvements youd like to see happen? How does “X” get done here? (Where X is a key element of the job) What types of skills do you NOT already have on-board that youre looking to fill with a new hire? What goals do you expect the person who takes this job to achieve during the first year (or 30, 60, 90 days)? If I was starting in this position today, what would you advise me to learn first and do first? What are common mistakes that people just starting this job make that I can avoid? Cultural Fit Questions Finding the right cultural fit is important to you AND the employer. Listen carefully and unbiasedly as you ask these questions. If you have the opportunity, ask good followup questions after their answer to gain further insight or clarification. What do you like best about working here? What type of work do you delegate to your staff? Has anyone on your staff been promoted over the last couple of years? If so, what was the reason why this person was promoted? What would be the three things that your peers would say you do extremely well? Does the company welcome celebrating special occasions? What was the last occasion your department celebrated? What do employees do in their spare time? What opportunities do you make available for professional development and training? The company may have a formal recognition program; however, what type of recognition have you recently given to one of your staff? Trial Close Sometimes it is a good idea to see if youve left unresolved questions or issues unaddressed. A trial close can be a way for you to see what the interviewer is feeling. Are there any reservations you have about my fit for the position that I could try to address? This job sounds like something I’d really like to do is there a fit here? Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position? Final Questions You Must Ask There are no exceptions. You MUST know the answers to these questions. It allows you to plan your followup. What is the next step in this process? What is your time line for getting back to candidates about the next steps? Want More Help With Job Interviews? Check out my ebook with practice questions, an interview prep sheet and more resources to help you feel more confident interviewing.

How To Boost Morale and Productivity In The Workplace - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

How To Boost Morale and Productivity In The Workplace Whether you’re managing a team of workers, or are yourself a worker within a team, you want to know exactly how you can stay focused on the task in hand and keep others on the track towards personal success, and in turn overall company gain and success. If you want to get the most out of work and maximise your work life, then you need to be focusing your team, or finding ways to further engage yourself, whether that be from being careful to avoid taking on too many roles and actions that you can’t manage just yet, to ensuring that you stay hydrated and eat the right foods for keeping your energy levels steady. Motivating your team is going to entail keeping them happy and feeling appreciated and valued, allowing them their opinion in how effective they feel the work processes are functioning and having an environment that is conducive to working and producing the content expected of them. Effective Management The management team of any company should be engaged and committed to its increased prosperity and progression. Good management involves being sensible and knowing what is economically feasible at any given time, and knowing how and when to invest. Investment in business takes skill and experience, and the opinions and advice of many investment inclined individuals and those who know their craft back to front. If you and your company are considering future investment in any given field, and want to know how to go forward in managing the processes involved in strategic and methodical business planning, then you need to turn your focus on enlisting the help of professionals who have experience in the in growth of companies. For example, Charles Walton offers advice on how best to achieve in the business and investment sphere. Professionals of such understand how a motivated and productive workforce is the foundation on which a successful business can grow, so looking after your staff i s paramount in being able to potentially see exponential growth of the company. A Place To Voice Complaint Or Concern To keep workplace morale high and ticking over in a healthy manner, members of the team need to know there is a place where they can have any questions or concerns they might have answered, and their needs met. Consider having a box where staff can deposit more troublesome queries that they otherwise might feel uneasy about raising face to face with management. You could also consider having an open office hour between certain hours in the day, for example between 3-4 on a Friday afternoon; this shows that you care about the welfare of your employees and that you’re focused on ensuring that their happiness is being looked after. Consider regularly reviewing the progress of staff-influenced changes around the office, and informing them if you believe the changes made were helpful and running engagement practices such as group activities could see staff morale and productivity flourish. Communicational Skills As a manager, you need to be approachable and seen to be interested in what your staff has to say or query. There are thousands of management and communication courses to be found online, so it’s worth looking into finding one that will enable you to communicate more effectively if you believe your ability to require some polishing. You can look elsewhere and locally to you should you wish to attend some classes or training alongside individuals in other managerial roles. You should know the first names of the entirety of your team and get to know more about them, make an effort to communicate with them and help them feel valued for a boost in workplace morale and motivation. Recognition Boost staff morale by employing the simple act of recognising good work. Publically recognise and congratulate achievement and consistent hard work and let your staff know that you appreciate what they’re doing. By highlighting good work, you’ll be setting an ideal standard, one that you wish to see repeated and worked towards in the future, and you’re far more likely to see this if you reward the efforts of those who did well to achieve. You can encourage your team or your workmates by voicing esteem for their actions and their content and even going as far as to reward them with a small cash incentive, for example. Workplace Appearance If you’re working within the confines of a small and cramped working space, then you’re not going to be able to complete your work to the best of your ability. Your surroundings have a significant effect on your ability to feel relaxed and clear-headed enough to work and produce content, and if you’re working for a creative company and your job is to have to create then you’re going to struggle to find both inspiration and motivation while in a stifling environment. To help solve this issue, think about transforming your place of work by improving office workspace, and enhancing the appearance and general atmosphere inside your working quarters. Pay attention to natural lighting and try to utilise the use of windows and light open spaces as often as possible all the while swiftly removing the oppressive fluorescent office bulb of yesteryear. Plants in the office will improve the air quality inside as they release oxygen and work to combat the potentially toxic components foun d in upholstery, furnishings and cleaning products so invite a whole host of plant and organic matter into the office space, and employ the services of two or three potted plants on your workstation. Do Not Tolerate Discrimination No matter how hardworking or well achieving a perpetrator of workplace bullying and intimidation is, they do not deserve a place in your business. Your company should not employ individuals who abuse their positional power in the workplace hierarchy. You need to give those who think they can undermine others their marching orders and show them the door. Workplace bullying cannot be tolerated in any circumstance, and the effects of such have the potential to lead to serious legal implications, so see that any individuals engaging in this behaviour are removed with immediate effect.