review

Blog Rules on Endorsements

1 Comment

Did you know the U.S. government enacted new laws impacting a blog, bloggers and endorsements effective December 1, 2009?

These revised rules require anyone who blogs about products, including books, to disclose any connection with the company. If the blogger receives a free product to review or some other benefit from the blog post, they must disclose this fact.

Not disclosing a relationship with the product or service may result in fines.

Unmatched by anything
Creative Commons License photo credit: TheeErin

On occasion I am asked to review a product or service and give my opinion. If the product is of benefit to my target audience, I will investigate or test it out. If I feel the product or service is valuable to my readers, I will comment on my blog.

I only promote or cover any products or services I have used and believe in.

Are you a blogger? You can learn more about this law from information available on the FTC website.

Social Media

LinkedIn Customized Profile URL

1 Comment

Did you know you can customize your LinkedIn profile URL? Every LinkedIn member can create a easily recognizable link directly to their profile in LinkedIn.

When you create a profile in LinkedIn, the system automatically generates a link to your profile. By default, this is a meaningless string of numbers and / or letters. I recommend Linkedin members edit this field and creating a custom URL for their profile.

Create your own LinkedIn customized profile URL

My custom profile URL is http://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmwilliams. Clicking on this link will take you directly to my profile page in LinkedIn.

Click on my custom URL http://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmwilliams and connect with me on LinkedIn.

Members can customizable the last part of their URL or the segment after “in”.

http://www.linkedIn/in/<CUSTOMIZE>

Each LinkedIn member profile is unique. If you have a common name, you may have to be creative in your selection. Consider these options:

  • <FirstName LastName>
  • <FirstName Middle Name LastName>
  • <FirstName Middle Initial LastName>
  • Tag line: i.e., WorldsBestLawyer

Add your newly customized LinkedIn profile URL to your email signature and include it in your resume.

Enter a comment below and let us know your customized LinkedIn profile URL.

personal branding

Attract More Clients

1 Comment

Ready to attract more clients? Let the LAW OF ATTRACTION work for you.

Attract More Clients Using LinkedIn and the Law of Attraction
Buy now via PayPal, just $19.99 for instant access!

What is inside this book …

Let CyberLife Tutors show you how to get more from your online network

Buy now via PayPal, just $19.99 for instant access!


You heard about LinkedIn from professional associates and possibly even created your profile. Now it is time to use LinkedIn to attract clients to you.

A quick overview of LinkedIn: It is an online professional networking tool used around the globe. According to LinkedIn, you can network with 70 million members from over 200 countries, including executives from all Fortune 500 companies. Members are split evenly between the United States and other countries. Basic LinkedIn membership is free though premium memberships are available.

Logging on to LinkedIn and creating your professional profile is the first step to building your online presence. Your goal is to attract clients and engage in business transactions.

This 34 page guide will walk you through the best practices for creating a profile that attracts clients, and the best ways to use LinkedIn as a tool to build your business. In each section you can stop reading, update your profile and come back for more.

Buy today and receive special bonus material too!

Buy now via PayPal, just $19.99 for instant access!

career

Resume Embellishing

Leave a comment

Illinois politics is always interesting. This month, we learned one of our candidates has embellished his resume. In one instance, he took personal credit for an award his team earned. In a second instance, he over stated his role.

Politicians are elected by the voters and accountable to us – the citizens of the jurisdiction. It is our responsibility to pay attention and let them know how we feel.
Resume Design
Creative Commons License photo credit: CharlotWest
In business, it is not uncommon for an employee to be fired when they lie on their resume. This behavior is not tolerated in the work place. Those who misstate their experience or qualifications are not considered trustworthy. “At will” employees can be fired on the spot.

Why do we, as voters and citizens allow our politicians to behave this way? If this behavior is not acceptable to you, let those who represent you in government know how you feel. Take action and vote for your beliefs.

career

Developing Your Personal Brand

Leave a comment

My friend Jim Cudney invited me to tour his native plant garden this week. What a treat to walk through his secret garden of lush plants and stroll along the babbling brook. I discovered natural and man made art work accents as we ambled along the pathways between trees and flowering bushes.

When we talked, thought about Jim’s brand and how the natural setting tied in with his company brand. As I write this post, I am listening to the ambient sounds from Technotribe‘s website.

Day 160 / 365 - Postcard
Creative Commons License photo credit: anitakhart

Jim’s company Technotribe works with Fortune 1000 companies on marketing, communications and project management. The tribal elements and earth colors flowed into the natural scene outside.

When I arrived, Jim was putting the final touches on a work related task and I noticed even the littlest detail included his personal brand.

Sometimes it is easy to overlook the little details. Those are the ones that matter the most.

career

Networking For a Job, Building Network Connections Or New Business

Leave a comment

Networking is an effective way to support your job search and career goals. To get the most out of your networking, understand your goals and create a plan to achieve them. By making a conscious decision to create and execute your networking plan you will see greater results.

IMG_0376
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ramsay2

  1. First understand what results you want to get from your networking activities. Are you networking because you are in job search mode? Are you looking to build your network to expand your career horizons? Is your goal to identify strategic partners? Is your networking objective to find customers? By understanding what you want to get out of your networking activities, you can best determine where to spend your efforts.
  2. Next determine where you will find the people you want to network with. Look for professional organizations, Chamber of Commerce, community groups, trade shows and educational events which would be of interest to your ideal networking contacts. Research these opportunities to understand the attendance levels and typical attendee. Determine the cost to attend the event including any membership dues.
  3. Set a goal for the number of contacts you will meet during the event. By spending 5 to 7 minutes with each contact, you could plan to meet ten people in an hour. By the end of the event you will have a sample of the attendees. You can now determine if attending this event brought you closer to achieving your networking goals.

By creating a plan for your networking activities you will have a better chance to achieve your career and networking goals. Taking the time to plan your next networking activity may take more effort before the event though your networking results will be more rewarding.

networking

Starting an Alumni Group

1 Comment

Most of us change jobs every 2-3 years. Have you wished you had a way to keep in touch with your former co-workers?

I started an online alumni group during the recession in January 2002 to help find new jobs for recently laid off co-workers. The group currently has over 400 members and is still a resource for sharing job leads. Most of us are still in the Chicago area at other companies. We provide the group with unadvertised job leads, pre-interview company intelligence and internal contacts.

Thai Festival 2010 - 17
Creative Commons License photo credit: garryknight

Is now the time to set up a group for your former co-workers? It’s easy to do with online groups. They work as a broadcast system to distribute emails to those who have “opted in” to the group. Check out the free group tools at Linkedin, Facebook, Yahoo groups or Google groups and start your own group today. Either site walks you through selecting the options to set up your group. From personal experience, I select “restrict membership” to maintain the groups focus. I also recommend requiring membership in the group before you can post messages. This reduces the chance of getting spam.

The amount of time required to maintain your group depends on the options you choose during set up, the number of new members and member activity level. The group owner can change these options to better suit the needs of the group and time available to administer membership. Additional moderators can be appointed to help with group maintenance.

career

How Can You Land a Job 15 to 46 Percent Faster?

1 Comment

Do you wonder how some people gain direction, focus and momentum in their job search? How do they stay so motivated? What are they doing differently than you are? According to the Wall Street Journal, those who use a career coach find their next job 15%-46% faster than those who do not. Here are five benefits you can receive by hiring a career coach.
How much transparency is too much?
Creative Commons License photo credit: opensourceway

1. Perspective: At times we can get so wrapped up in our day to day activities that we lose perspective. A coach will offer an outside opinion of how the world perceives you.

2. Assessment: Part of a coach’s job is to keep current on industries and trends. They can advise you on how your current skills align with today’s job market. They will help you learn more about yourself and your passion.

3. Goal Setting: You will define both tactical and strategic goals with your coach as well as a road map to achieve these. Together you will discuss your desired career path and lay out the plans to get you to your destination.

4. Motivation: Your coach is there to motivate you and inspire you to be your best. If you are not making progress, your coach will challenge you to be more effective. You’ll get a pat on the back when you deserve it.

5. Accountability: When you meet with your coach, you will review the progress you have made towards achieving your goals. The coach will ask you about road blocks you put in your own path and work with you to remove them or detour around them.

career

Henry Ford Knows You Are Right

1 Comment

If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.
Henry Ford, (attributed)
US automobile industrialist (1863 – 1947)        Source: quotations page

Henry Ford was right. Founder of Ford Motor Company, the Model T and the assembly line, he changed the way Americans and the world did business. Above is one of my favorite quotes from Henry Ford.

As we begin learning new skills, it can feel like an uphill battle.

  • Sweat dripping off our brow.
  • Knees knocking.
  • Butterflies in our stomach.
  • Heart racing.

First time experiences may set the nervous energy flowing. Direct the adrenaline rush towards a positive channel to benefit from your experience. It is easy to get wrapped up in the fears.

Take control of your destiny and focus your efforts on the results. A few deep breathes can do wonders to relax the mind. Take a moment to refocus your energy.

Social Media

How to Follow a Twitter List

8 Comments

Twitter lists are a way for Twitter users to group other Twitter accounts together. How might you use this feature? A shopping center could create a list to promote each other. A Chamber of Commerce might use a list to follow and cross promote other local businesses.

I created a Twitter list of McHenry county, Illinois businesses to follow and promote what is happening in our area. Since this list began, I learned about many new companies and services I was not aware of.

Another benefit of Twitter lists is you can view the recent tweets of the account holders without actually following each of these accounts.

Here is a recent blog posting about the McHenry County Business Twitter list.

You can see all recent tweets from these McHenry County businesses on a single page.

How are you using the Twitter list feature?

Here is a short video on how to follow a Twitter list.

Social Media Strategy, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Blogs

%d bloggers like this: