Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
How to Take Personal Branding to the Next Level
Written By: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
Personal Branding: Showcasing your Talents: Individuals who wish to showcase their talents or to grow their business understand the power behind personal branding. Personal Branding gives users an Internet ID along with a physical “signature” in a sense, so that their product and thus, their business becomes one with their name. In doing so, the brand carries the individual and makes him or her larger than life; whereas without the branding, that same individual seems to fade into insignificance over time.
From Icon to Global Phenomenon: Take for example, Carlos Santana; that iconic guitarist from the 60’s, who has not ceased to produce chart-topping hits in every decade; who as a member of the Rock Hall of Fame- has won 10 Grammy awards along with selling over 100 million records. Perhaps, as no other musician has done, Carlos has mastered the art of personal branding and in so doing, was an icon that became a global phenomenon. Carlos Santana has a line of women’s shoes and accessories named after him. He also dons a signature guitar, signature guitar strings and percussion instruments named in his honor.
Building up the Brand by Adding Something new while staying with the Old: Carlos also has his own line of restaurants called “Maria Maria” along with a brand of sparkling wine that touts his signature too. Add to this, his philanthropic activism in giving to causes such as Hispanic education, Greenpeace, American Indian college fund, rainforest preservation and Amnesty International to name a few and Carlos Santana has “become a cultural event, transcending genre, crossing cultures- creating the music that has become the soundtrack of the world.”
Secrets of Success: Combining Personal Branding with Global Standing: The secret to Carlos success is more than just his name, his music, his guitar style or his legacy; it is the strategic way he has attached his name and thus his involvement to things bigger than himself such as in giving to the many causes he has been actively involved in over the years. In music, he attached his name to one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of fine electric guitars- Ibanez and now he has an Ibanez edition guitar in his name. To further his “brand”, he added his name to one of the largest producers of premium guitar strings- “GHS” and now there is version of GHS strings with Carlos Santana’s name backing the brand.
Branding has no Borders: Secondly, it is his vision to cross musical genres with a style of music that was global, cosmopolitan and “without borders” that helped contribute to his larger-than-life persona. The music both defined his style and his style defined the music. Every Carlos Santana song is easily recognizable as truly, a signature Santana song. His sound can’t be replicated nor would any musician within his or her good sense, attempt to do so for Carlos Santana is more than an artist, or a musician; he is a global brand of epic proportions whose music and legacy defies borders and knows no boundaries.
Global Branding and the Local Business- your Business: One may ask how this ties in to their personal lives, their brand or that of their business. Quite simply; the power of personal branding can only take you or your business so far. However; when you attach your name, your business and thus your brand to a “brand” that is larger than yourself- you become attached to something bigger that can propel you to new, unprecedented heights not possible before.
Become Larger-than-Life: This is why it’s so critical to attach your business and name to that of a global brand; one that’s larger-than-life and that has all the right components in place to propel you and your business to the next level. Successful Thinkers is just such a brand that has the kind of global significance to take your personal brand to the next level!
Make your Personal Brand a Global Brand with Successful Thinkers: With Successful Thinkers you will be attached to a global phenomenon taking the world’s stage by storm. By involvement with Successful Thinkers, you will be associated with the highest caliber of people from every walk of life; each one a success in his/her own right. Through branding yourself with the far-reaching, global branding of Successful Thinkers; you will in the process- become global in your personal branding and reach heights you never deemed possible out on your own.
Take it to the Next Level: Finally, by joining up with Successful Thinkers; you will be connected to a brand that has the power to help revitalize the economy and strengthen the local community! Join up with Successful Thinkers and take your personal brand to the next level!
Darren Bocksnick, Official Writer for Successful Thinkers
Darren.Bocksnick@gmail.com
http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Way-of-the-Entrepreneur-Warrior
Written By: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
Personal Branding: Showcasing your Talents: Individuals who wish to showcase their talents or to grow their business understand the power behind personal branding. Personal Branding gives users an Internet ID along with a physical “signature” in a sense, so that their product and thus, their business becomes one with their name. In doing so, the brand carries the individual and makes him or her larger than life; whereas without the branding, that same individual seems to fade into insignificance over time.
From Icon to Global Phenomenon: Take for example, Carlos Santana; that iconic guitarist from the 60’s, who has not ceased to produce chart-topping hits in every decade; who as a member of the Rock Hall of Fame- has won 10 Grammy awards along with selling over 100 million records. Perhaps, as no other musician has done, Carlos has mastered the art of personal branding and in so doing, was an icon that became a global phenomenon. Carlos Santana has a line of women’s shoes and accessories named after him. He also dons a signature guitar, signature guitar strings and percussion instruments named in his honor.
Building up the Brand by Adding Something new while staying with the Old: Carlos also has his own line of restaurants called “Maria Maria” along with a brand of sparkling wine that touts his signature too. Add to this, his philanthropic activism in giving to causes such as Hispanic education, Greenpeace, American Indian college fund, rainforest preservation and Amnesty International to name a few and Carlos Santana has “become a cultural event, transcending genre, crossing cultures- creating the music that has become the soundtrack of the world.”
Secrets of Success: Combining Personal Branding with Global Standing: The secret to Carlos success is more than just his name, his music, his guitar style or his legacy; it is the strategic way he has attached his name and thus his involvement to things bigger than himself such as in giving to the many causes he has been actively involved in over the years. In music, he attached his name to one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of fine electric guitars- Ibanez and now he has an Ibanez edition guitar in his name. To further his “brand”, he added his name to one of the largest producers of premium guitar strings- “GHS” and now there is version of GHS strings with Carlos Santana’s name backing the brand.
Branding has no Borders: Secondly, it is his vision to cross musical genres with a style of music that was global, cosmopolitan and “without borders” that helped contribute to his larger-than-life persona. The music both defined his style and his style defined the music. Every Carlos Santana song is easily recognizable as truly, a signature Santana song. His sound can’t be replicated nor would any musician within his or her good sense, attempt to do so for Carlos Santana is more than an artist, or a musician; he is a global brand of epic proportions whose music and legacy defies borders and knows no boundaries.
Global Branding and the Local Business- your Business: One may ask how this ties in to their personal lives, their brand or that of their business. Quite simply; the power of personal branding can only take you or your business so far. However; when you attach your name, your business and thus your brand to a “brand” that is larger than yourself- you become attached to something bigger that can propel you to new, unprecedented heights not possible before.
Become Larger-than-Life: This is why it’s so critical to attach your business and name to that of a global brand; one that’s larger-than-life and that has all the right components in place to propel you and your business to the next level. Successful Thinkers is just such a brand that has the kind of global significance to take your personal brand to the next level!
Make your Personal Brand a Global Brand with Successful Thinkers: With Successful Thinkers you will be attached to a global phenomenon taking the world’s stage by storm. By involvement with Successful Thinkers, you will be associated with the highest caliber of people from every walk of life; each one a success in his/her own right. Through branding yourself with the far-reaching, global branding of Successful Thinkers; you will in the process- become global in your personal branding and reach heights you never deemed possible out on your own.
Take it to the Next Level: Finally, by joining up with Successful Thinkers; you will be connected to a brand that has the power to help revitalize the economy and strengthen the local community! Join up with Successful Thinkers and take your personal brand to the next level!
Darren Bocksnick, Official Writer for Successful Thinkers
Darren.Bocksnick@gmail.com
http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Way-of-the-Entrepreneur-Warrior
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Looking UP Regardless of How Things "Look"
Looking up regardless of How it Looks
Written by: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren Bocksnick
The Connection:
During times of struggle, there has often been a connection between looking away from one’s depressed, despairing circumstances and looking up toward the hope of better things to come. This looking up process has long been associated with a paradigm shift in thinking with concepts such as: 1) refusing to abide in a helpless state 2) acknowledging the need for help from someone/something greater 3) embracing hope and the expectation of better things.
The Look Away/Look up Principle in Action:
Numerous are the instances where this “looking away/looking up” principle has determined the outcome in matters of success or failure, prosperity or poverty, victory and defeat. Yet one particular story stands out. For the American and allied forces on June 6th, 1944; otherwise known as D-Day- by all appearances it seemed to be a day destined for defeat. Though the world waited in hope and expectation to be freed from the tyranny of an oppressive regime; the enemy prepared in earnest to maintain their steely grip and control over their domain of conquest.
Night is Darkest Just before the Dawn:
The mission itself was one of near, impossible odds requiring American and allied soldiers to storm a Nazi-occupied beachfront riddled with landmines. Even worst, the soldiers’ only means of reaching the beachfront was by way of cumbersome water-craft, known as “Landers”. Many of the soldiers drown when their watercraft capsized en route to the beachfront landing zone. To compound the danger; the beachfront was guarded by seasoned soldiers touting heavy machine guns and powerful artillery located strategically throughout the surrounding hills and bunkers overlooking the area.
Even the weather looked menacing for a summer day in Normandy, France during June. An overcast sky replete with thick gray clouds, numbing temperatures and sheets of rain painted a bleak picture; an omen of sorts of that which was soon to follow.
Appearances Don’t Always Provide a True Picture:
Their orders were to “take the beach” and to rid the area of the enemy, regardless of whatever difficulties they were certain to encounter. Yet, on the morn of that infamous day; accomplishing the mission seemed all empty words from a star-studded General. As the American and allied soldiers approached the beachfront, the eruption of machine gun fire and artillery exploded all around; in the water, in the landing craft and in the midst of their comrades. By appearances alone; defeat looked imminent.
Not moving forward is the Equivalent of Falling Backwards:
Those “fortunate” enough to remain alive amidst the bombardment and make it to the beachfront were confronted with death, dismembered bodies and untold devastation. History depicts a grim tale of soldiers frozen in fear, unable to move and unwilling to go forward to complete the mission. No sooner had they launched their mission that victory seemed impossible and failure looked inevitable.
Even the Faintest Splinter of Light Pierces the Dark:
Yet, as a group of terror-stricken soldiers lay there behind corpses and makeshift blockades to escape the relentless bombardment of enemy fire, one of them, a Colonel George Taylor spoke up: "Two kinds of people are staying on this beach, the dead and those who are going to die. Now let's get the hell out of here" (Goldstein 210). At that, the men looked away from their dark and dire circumstance to look up and see the glimmer of hope before them. They rose to carry out the mission they had been appointed to do: “move forward and take the beach”. The rest is, as they say, history since the soldiers were able to take the beach and defeat all the enemy forces entrenched there. More significantly; their victory was to serve as a launch pad into all of Europe which eventually led to the enemy’s ultimate defeat.
Outlook Determines Outcome:
The Look Away/Look Up factors have often contributed to a change in one’s perspective, one’s outlook and ultimately, one’s outcome. As one’s countenance lifts and looks up toward better things, the negative, contrary circumstances weighing him or her down begins to dissipate. When this occurs, suddenly things don’t seem as dire or depressing as they once had appeared. When people can learn to look away from the troubling circumstances surrounding them and instead, start looking upward with hope toward better things to come; it is then that things will begin to improve and turn around!
Though to the degree one can look away from the negative and look up toward the positive will usually determine the duration of the trouble or intensity of the victory; here are some good practices however, that we can all put into action for helping us maintain the right perspective.
I. Surround Yourself with the Right Kind of Crowd: It is no secret that our influences have a profound impact on our attitudes and perspectives. There is much ado about this factor known as synergy and how the power of two in agreement brings out a third force which is even greater than the sum total of the two; almost as if it were two to a higher power. Synergy is usually associated with all things positive, successful and prosperous. However; if we believe that synergy does in fact exist, we are forced to at least acknowledge the idea that a negative synergy also exists. In other words, when two come together and agree on something with negative connotation or devious intention; then the same principle of that third force coming into play, also applies- albeit in the negative sense. Emphasizing the negative here in order to accentuate the positive; we must be careful about our associations for either their positive influence will affect us positively or their negative influence can just as easily impact us negatively.
II. Be the Source of your own Inspiration: While trekking through life we will undoubtedly encounter situations that can drain and deprive us of our reservoir of optimistic thought and an upbeat attitude. There are times when even our most reliable, positive influences will be unable to quell the unrest and despondency that may cross our paths from time-to-time. It is then that we must be able to do the seeming impossible; be the source of our own inspiration. In such circumstances we must find it within ourselves to not only survive, but to thrive and go forward with renewed determination to succeed! In all great competitions; it has often been said that the champions are those who willed themselves to victory. The human will is like a last bastion of defiance against the seemingly insurmountable odds of obtaining victory. When even our physical bodies have worn, our energy is depleted and our emotions are numb with defeat; it is then that our will can ultimately bring us through to victory like nothing else could ever do. Consider this; when we can fully pick ourselves up, what then can ever fully bring us down?
III. Present Circumstances are not Indicative of Future Realities: So often we succumb to the contrary situations that arise in our lives and before too long, hopelessness starts to set in if we are not careful. We are a here and now, microwave speed, fast-food generation. As such, we cringe when the negative occurs in our lives and all that occupies our minds is getting through it and past it as quickly as possible. The problem then becomes compounded when these negative situations linger longer than we had hoped or anticipated for them to last. Left unabated, we can become disheartened, disillusioned and worst, depressed over negative occurrences lasting longer than we’d prefer them to. It is during these times that we should call to mind this simple concept: that our present circumstances are NOT indicative of our future realities. In other words; what we are going through right NOW and the negative, contrary circumstances bearing down on us at this present moment are NOT an indicator of what our future holds for us. Our situations can change in an instant and our circumstances can make a turn for the positive in the fraction of a moment. Therefore, place your hope in what is yet to come and in the anticipation of better things made possible by your dreams! Don’t, however; become so focused on your current situation that you miss the open doors “exits” provided by your hope-filled future to leave the negative behind and enter into the positive world that’s awaiting you!
In closing, looking away from the negatives around us and looking up to the positives yet before us is often the fine line separating victory from defeat; success from failure and prosperity from poverty. We must endeavor to embrace our hopes, breathe life into our dreams and cultivate our goals for one day; they shall nourish and sustain us with health, wealth and purpose! Perhaps, this powerful quote encapsulating the significance of this looking away / looking up principle, says it best: “"When life knocks you down, try to fall on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up." Les Brown
Darren Bocksnick
Official Writer for Successful Thinkers
thebulletpoint@yahoo.com
http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren Bocksnick
http://twitter.com/wordwielder
http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/
http://hubpages.com/profile/WordWielder
Written by: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren Bocksnick
The Connection:
During times of struggle, there has often been a connection between looking away from one’s depressed, despairing circumstances and looking up toward the hope of better things to come. This looking up process has long been associated with a paradigm shift in thinking with concepts such as: 1) refusing to abide in a helpless state 2) acknowledging the need for help from someone/something greater 3) embracing hope and the expectation of better things.
The Look Away/Look up Principle in Action:
Numerous are the instances where this “looking away/looking up” principle has determined the outcome in matters of success or failure, prosperity or poverty, victory and defeat. Yet one particular story stands out. For the American and allied forces on June 6th, 1944; otherwise known as D-Day- by all appearances it seemed to be a day destined for defeat. Though the world waited in hope and expectation to be freed from the tyranny of an oppressive regime; the enemy prepared in earnest to maintain their steely grip and control over their domain of conquest.
Night is Darkest Just before the Dawn:
The mission itself was one of near, impossible odds requiring American and allied soldiers to storm a Nazi-occupied beachfront riddled with landmines. Even worst, the soldiers’ only means of reaching the beachfront was by way of cumbersome water-craft, known as “Landers”. Many of the soldiers drown when their watercraft capsized en route to the beachfront landing zone. To compound the danger; the beachfront was guarded by seasoned soldiers touting heavy machine guns and powerful artillery located strategically throughout the surrounding hills and bunkers overlooking the area.
Even the weather looked menacing for a summer day in Normandy, France during June. An overcast sky replete with thick gray clouds, numbing temperatures and sheets of rain painted a bleak picture; an omen of sorts of that which was soon to follow.
Appearances Don’t Always Provide a True Picture:
Their orders were to “take the beach” and to rid the area of the enemy, regardless of whatever difficulties they were certain to encounter. Yet, on the morn of that infamous day; accomplishing the mission seemed all empty words from a star-studded General. As the American and allied soldiers approached the beachfront, the eruption of machine gun fire and artillery exploded all around; in the water, in the landing craft and in the midst of their comrades. By appearances alone; defeat looked imminent.
Not moving forward is the Equivalent of Falling Backwards:
Those “fortunate” enough to remain alive amidst the bombardment and make it to the beachfront were confronted with death, dismembered bodies and untold devastation. History depicts a grim tale of soldiers frozen in fear, unable to move and unwilling to go forward to complete the mission. No sooner had they launched their mission that victory seemed impossible and failure looked inevitable.
Even the Faintest Splinter of Light Pierces the Dark:
Yet, as a group of terror-stricken soldiers lay there behind corpses and makeshift blockades to escape the relentless bombardment of enemy fire, one of them, a Colonel George Taylor spoke up: "Two kinds of people are staying on this beach, the dead and those who are going to die. Now let's get the hell out of here" (Goldstein 210). At that, the men looked away from their dark and dire circumstance to look up and see the glimmer of hope before them. They rose to carry out the mission they had been appointed to do: “move forward and take the beach”. The rest is, as they say, history since the soldiers were able to take the beach and defeat all the enemy forces entrenched there. More significantly; their victory was to serve as a launch pad into all of Europe which eventually led to the enemy’s ultimate defeat.
Outlook Determines Outcome:
The Look Away/Look Up factors have often contributed to a change in one’s perspective, one’s outlook and ultimately, one’s outcome. As one’s countenance lifts and looks up toward better things, the negative, contrary circumstances weighing him or her down begins to dissipate. When this occurs, suddenly things don’t seem as dire or depressing as they once had appeared. When people can learn to look away from the troubling circumstances surrounding them and instead, start looking upward with hope toward better things to come; it is then that things will begin to improve and turn around!
Though to the degree one can look away from the negative and look up toward the positive will usually determine the duration of the trouble or intensity of the victory; here are some good practices however, that we can all put into action for helping us maintain the right perspective.
I. Surround Yourself with the Right Kind of Crowd: It is no secret that our influences have a profound impact on our attitudes and perspectives. There is much ado about this factor known as synergy and how the power of two in agreement brings out a third force which is even greater than the sum total of the two; almost as if it were two to a higher power. Synergy is usually associated with all things positive, successful and prosperous. However; if we believe that synergy does in fact exist, we are forced to at least acknowledge the idea that a negative synergy also exists. In other words, when two come together and agree on something with negative connotation or devious intention; then the same principle of that third force coming into play, also applies- albeit in the negative sense. Emphasizing the negative here in order to accentuate the positive; we must be careful about our associations for either their positive influence will affect us positively or their negative influence can just as easily impact us negatively.
II. Be the Source of your own Inspiration: While trekking through life we will undoubtedly encounter situations that can drain and deprive us of our reservoir of optimistic thought and an upbeat attitude. There are times when even our most reliable, positive influences will be unable to quell the unrest and despondency that may cross our paths from time-to-time. It is then that we must be able to do the seeming impossible; be the source of our own inspiration. In such circumstances we must find it within ourselves to not only survive, but to thrive and go forward with renewed determination to succeed! In all great competitions; it has often been said that the champions are those who willed themselves to victory. The human will is like a last bastion of defiance against the seemingly insurmountable odds of obtaining victory. When even our physical bodies have worn, our energy is depleted and our emotions are numb with defeat; it is then that our will can ultimately bring us through to victory like nothing else could ever do. Consider this; when we can fully pick ourselves up, what then can ever fully bring us down?
III. Present Circumstances are not Indicative of Future Realities: So often we succumb to the contrary situations that arise in our lives and before too long, hopelessness starts to set in if we are not careful. We are a here and now, microwave speed, fast-food generation. As such, we cringe when the negative occurs in our lives and all that occupies our minds is getting through it and past it as quickly as possible. The problem then becomes compounded when these negative situations linger longer than we had hoped or anticipated for them to last. Left unabated, we can become disheartened, disillusioned and worst, depressed over negative occurrences lasting longer than we’d prefer them to. It is during these times that we should call to mind this simple concept: that our present circumstances are NOT indicative of our future realities. In other words; what we are going through right NOW and the negative, contrary circumstances bearing down on us at this present moment are NOT an indicator of what our future holds for us. Our situations can change in an instant and our circumstances can make a turn for the positive in the fraction of a moment. Therefore, place your hope in what is yet to come and in the anticipation of better things made possible by your dreams! Don’t, however; become so focused on your current situation that you miss the open doors “exits” provided by your hope-filled future to leave the negative behind and enter into the positive world that’s awaiting you!
In closing, looking away from the negatives around us and looking up to the positives yet before us is often the fine line separating victory from defeat; success from failure and prosperity from poverty. We must endeavor to embrace our hopes, breathe life into our dreams and cultivate our goals for one day; they shall nourish and sustain us with health, wealth and purpose! Perhaps, this powerful quote encapsulating the significance of this looking away / looking up principle, says it best: “"When life knocks you down, try to fall on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up." Les Brown
Darren Bocksnick
Official Writer for Successful Thinkers
thebulletpoint@yahoo.com
http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren Bocksnick
http://twitter.com/wordwielder
http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/
http://hubpages.com/profile/WordWielder
Thursday, April 30, 2009
How to Write a Winning Resume
How to Write a Winning Resume
Written By: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
In an uncertain economy, your resume may very well become one of the greatest assets in your professional portfolio. Your resume is a powerful statement about you- your skills, strengths, education and what you have to offer to a potential employer. Therefore, having a powerful, well-written resume is essential in getting your resume to stand out and get noticed from all the rest.
Personal Directors within typical corporations are inundated with piles and heaps of resumes strewn across their desks, littering their email inboxes and sometimes, even tying up their fax lines. Amidst such fierce competition and the plethora of new jobless claims; how does one even get their resume noticed, let alone read and called in for an interview?
Though there are many factors to consider; these are in my opinion, the keys for writing a winning resume that gets noticed. Remember though, resumes are not designed to get you the job; they are designed to get you the interview. The interview of course; is your test at passing or failing at getting hired by the company. So make sure you “study up” on your interview skills; that way you can pass with flying colors!
1) Make your Resume Perfect: Resumes are a reflection of yourself and therefore should represent the best you have to offer and in all you do. Grammar mistakes on resumes are an absolute “opportunity killer” for job seekers. This is viewed as lack of attention to detail, shoddy workmanship and a careless attitude. Always use a grammar, spelling check and then proofread, again and again.
2) Make your Resume Precise: When listing important dates and numbers, be certain they are accurate and up-to-date. Misinformation is “opportunity killer” # 2. While some “flowering” words are suitable, avoid at all the costs the fluff of an over-exaggerated fact. Just keep your resume precise and the details will take care of themselves.
3) Make your Resume Presentable: Your resume is at its most fundamental level, a presentation. There’s nothing worse than a great product that’s not given justice because the presentation was lacking. You are the “product” in this analogy and your resume is “presenting” you. So, to make for an ideal presentation, use extra thick, high quality white or off-white paper. The presentation should look clean, well-formatted and legible. A resume that is difficult to look over or “follow” is “opportunity killer” # 3.
4) Make your Resume Purposeful: Generic resumes that generalize about job details or skills don’t always work. Many employers are looking for specific sets of skills to match their requirements. It’s better to have a couple of variations of your resume- tailored to the different types of industries you may be applying for or are interested in. Change up each resume just enough so that your skills and experience that are relevant to the position being offered- stand out to the employer. Write your resume with purpose because an overly generalized resume is “opportunity killer” # 4.
5) Make your Resume Powerful: Rather than writing about every “task” you did on a daily basis for your employers, describe instead how you contributed to and benefited your past employers. If possible, attach a dollar sign to the contributions you made while employed for them. This stands out to employers and catches their attention. Rather than using traditional sentence structure in your resume; start each line or bullet point with a “Power Word”. These are action words that showcase authority and results. Instead of saying, “I made sure the employees did their jobs and closed up the store at night”, say this: “I oversaw the store operations and trained employees in property security/lockdown measures for a multi-million dollar department store.” This simply says it better and sounds better. Having a powerless resume is “opportunity killer” # 5.
Resumes are powerful tools in your professional arsenal. Use them wisely and make sure they are presenting you at your very best! You deserve it and have worked hard to achieve your goals; don’t let a poorly written resume hinder you from finding and landing the job of your dreams!
Written By: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
In an uncertain economy, your resume may very well become one of the greatest assets in your professional portfolio. Your resume is a powerful statement about you- your skills, strengths, education and what you have to offer to a potential employer. Therefore, having a powerful, well-written resume is essential in getting your resume to stand out and get noticed from all the rest.
Personal Directors within typical corporations are inundated with piles and heaps of resumes strewn across their desks, littering their email inboxes and sometimes, even tying up their fax lines. Amidst such fierce competition and the plethora of new jobless claims; how does one even get their resume noticed, let alone read and called in for an interview?
Though there are many factors to consider; these are in my opinion, the keys for writing a winning resume that gets noticed. Remember though, resumes are not designed to get you the job; they are designed to get you the interview. The interview of course; is your test at passing or failing at getting hired by the company. So make sure you “study up” on your interview skills; that way you can pass with flying colors!
1) Make your Resume Perfect: Resumes are a reflection of yourself and therefore should represent the best you have to offer and in all you do. Grammar mistakes on resumes are an absolute “opportunity killer” for job seekers. This is viewed as lack of attention to detail, shoddy workmanship and a careless attitude. Always use a grammar, spelling check and then proofread, again and again.
2) Make your Resume Precise: When listing important dates and numbers, be certain they are accurate and up-to-date. Misinformation is “opportunity killer” # 2. While some “flowering” words are suitable, avoid at all the costs the fluff of an over-exaggerated fact. Just keep your resume precise and the details will take care of themselves.
3) Make your Resume Presentable: Your resume is at its most fundamental level, a presentation. There’s nothing worse than a great product that’s not given justice because the presentation was lacking. You are the “product” in this analogy and your resume is “presenting” you. So, to make for an ideal presentation, use extra thick, high quality white or off-white paper. The presentation should look clean, well-formatted and legible. A resume that is difficult to look over or “follow” is “opportunity killer” # 3.
4) Make your Resume Purposeful: Generic resumes that generalize about job details or skills don’t always work. Many employers are looking for specific sets of skills to match their requirements. It’s better to have a couple of variations of your resume- tailored to the different types of industries you may be applying for or are interested in. Change up each resume just enough so that your skills and experience that are relevant to the position being offered- stand out to the employer. Write your resume with purpose because an overly generalized resume is “opportunity killer” # 4.
5) Make your Resume Powerful: Rather than writing about every “task” you did on a daily basis for your employers, describe instead how you contributed to and benefited your past employers. If possible, attach a dollar sign to the contributions you made while employed for them. This stands out to employers and catches their attention. Rather than using traditional sentence structure in your resume; start each line or bullet point with a “Power Word”. These are action words that showcase authority and results. Instead of saying, “I made sure the employees did their jobs and closed up the store at night”, say this: “I oversaw the store operations and trained employees in property security/lockdown measures for a multi-million dollar department store.” This simply says it better and sounds better. Having a powerless resume is “opportunity killer” # 5.
Resumes are powerful tools in your professional arsenal. Use them wisely and make sure they are presenting you at your very best! You deserve it and have worked hard to achieve your goals; don’t let a poorly written resume hinder you from finding and landing the job of your dreams!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Renewing Your Mind in 2009
Written By: Darren Bocksnick ©2009
Whew! The year of 2008 was quite a ride! There’s an old saying that states in essence, “sometimes we have to emphasize the negative to accentuate the positive”. So, back to 2008- many experts, much of the media and overwhelming public opinion all seem to agree that it was one of the most trying, troublesome and turbulent years we have faced in decades. With bailouts, foreclosures, bankruptcies and looming gas prices all on the rise; it’s hard to look “up” when so much appears to have taken a downturn.
Yet, successful people and entrepreneurial minded individuals alike have learned not only how to survive in such conditions; they learn how to thrive! For them, there is an age-old proven principle that is powerful enough to see beyond the present situation to envision future expectations. So, even when things appear to be their bleakest, these forward thinking individuals appear to be un-phased insomuch that outwardly, they even exhibit an impenetrable shell of positivity.
Some may ask how this is possible. Scientists have discovered the brain actually rewires itself in response to patterns of thought. If a person is prone to negative thinking or a pessimistic outlook on life, the brain rewires itself accordingly and not surprising, these individuals always seem to have no shortage of trouble occurring in their lives.
However, those same studies revealed the opposite holds equally true! If an individual decides to have a positive outlook, the brain rewires itself again to accommodate this new pattern of thought and in turn, forms that individual's "world" according to their new way of thinking! As a result, the grateful individual's life seems to be replete with good things; health, family, prosperity, abundance, goals, etc. This is not to say they don't encounter the occasional hardship but the positive things in their lives far outweigh the negative! The intended lesson here is: we are what we think and our thoughts can in fact, determine our reality!
Though this is simple in principle it may appear difficult in practice. Yet in all actuality, a little goes a long way in changing the way we think. It starts by simply planting seeds of positive thought. It may be refusing to be upset when troubling circumstances occur and instead, remaining positive through the storm. Or it may be expressing gratitude over those things one does have even when faced with loss and despair. These are simple ways of planting positive seed that one day will bloom and have fruition.
Still another form of “seed-planting” may be more difficult to master but it yields a plentiful harvest of powerful “fruit” once it is put into practice. This method of seed planting is the art of speaking positive “seeds” into your situation, regardless of how dark and dismal things may appear to be.
This can be as unnatural as seeing yourself in the mirror and saying: “I’m a winner” or “I’m special” or “I can be anything I want to be”. Since these small, incremental seeds eventually yield a positive mental harvest that affects your attitude, outlook and whole worldview, planting them often is paramount to progress.
The act of seed planting can also be as powerful as speaking out loud to your circumstances or making a bold exchange of positive “faith” words to a crowd, whether in a small group or large gathering. In doing so, your words become a powerful, creative force that will eventually form the world and circumstances you hope to see. While also, your words become a destructive force that begins to destroy and dismantle the negative environment that you are currently in.
Planting seeds always produces fruit of some kind or another.
When we plant positive seeds, the harvest that eventually comes will not only benefit us but others as well. This is wherein the true beauty lies. By a few simple changes in the way we think, we can not only create the world we want for ourselves but we can also “speak” better things into existence for the benefit of all!
Studies reveal that the brain’s neural network is “firing” off countless electrical charges in a given moment. As the body responds to different stimuli affecting the senses or the emotions, these electrical charges react accordingly. As behavioral patterns set in, the brain’s neural network becomes wired to cater to those patterns of thought and in so doing, builds that individual’s world or reality around their way of thinking.
So, if it is a negative, pessimistic set of emotions for example that lead to depression, anger and the like, then the brain’s neural network solidifies this pattern of thought and literally, forms that individual’s reality in the process. They in turn become depressed, bitter individuals prone to outbursts of anger.
Interestingly, the brain’s neural network has been shown to re-wire itself when a conscientious decision is made to think differently. Let’s say that same individual susceptible to anger makes a pointed decision to react differently to the outward stimulus and inner emotions triggering the anger. He or she decides to exercise gratitude instead of resigning to thoughts of bitterness or depression.
It is at this juncture that the brain’s neural network literally rewires itself and certain neurons that had been dormant began to fire up and establish new patterns of thought. The grateful individual then begins to experience blessing and abundance in his/her life since those things are natural outflows of a grateful attitude. In one simple of act of changing the way one thinks, new behavioral patterns set in, new experiences and opportunities present themselves and thus, a new world is formed. The individual has in fact, created a new reality for his or her self just by thinking differently.
In other words, how a person reacts, responds and thinks really does create their reality! It’s amazing to consider that we can begin to change our circumstances simply by reshaping our thought patterns.
Written By: Darren Bocksnick ©2009
Whew! The year of 2008 was quite a ride! There’s an old saying that states in essence, “sometimes we have to emphasize the negative to accentuate the positive”. So, back to 2008- many experts, much of the media and overwhelming public opinion all seem to agree that it was one of the most trying, troublesome and turbulent years we have faced in decades. With bailouts, foreclosures, bankruptcies and looming gas prices all on the rise; it’s hard to look “up” when so much appears to have taken a downturn.
Yet, successful people and entrepreneurial minded individuals alike have learned not only how to survive in such conditions; they learn how to thrive! For them, there is an age-old proven principle that is powerful enough to see beyond the present situation to envision future expectations. So, even when things appear to be their bleakest, these forward thinking individuals appear to be un-phased insomuch that outwardly, they even exhibit an impenetrable shell of positivity.
Some may ask how this is possible. Scientists have discovered the brain actually rewires itself in response to patterns of thought. If a person is prone to negative thinking or a pessimistic outlook on life, the brain rewires itself accordingly and not surprising, these individuals always seem to have no shortage of trouble occurring in their lives.
However, those same studies revealed the opposite holds equally true! If an individual decides to have a positive outlook, the brain rewires itself again to accommodate this new pattern of thought and in turn, forms that individual's "world" according to their new way of thinking! As a result, the grateful individual's life seems to be replete with good things; health, family, prosperity, abundance, goals, etc. This is not to say they don't encounter the occasional hardship but the positive things in their lives far outweigh the negative! The intended lesson here is: we are what we think and our thoughts can in fact, determine our reality!
Though this is simple in principle it may appear difficult in practice. Yet in all actuality, a little goes a long way in changing the way we think. It starts by simply planting seeds of positive thought. It may be refusing to be upset when troubling circumstances occur and instead, remaining positive through the storm. Or it may be expressing gratitude over those things one does have even when faced with loss and despair. These are simple ways of planting positive seed that one day will bloom and have fruition.
Still another form of “seed-planting” may be more difficult to master but it yields a plentiful harvest of powerful “fruit” once it is put into practice. This method of seed planting is the art of speaking positive “seeds” into your situation, regardless of how dark and dismal things may appear to be.
This can be as unnatural as seeing yourself in the mirror and saying: “I’m a winner” or “I’m special” or “I can be anything I want to be”. Since these small, incremental seeds eventually yield a positive mental harvest that affects your attitude, outlook and whole worldview, planting them often is paramount to progress.
The act of seed planting can also be as powerful as speaking out loud to your circumstances or making a bold exchange of positive “faith” words to a crowd, whether in a small group or large gathering. In doing so, your words become a powerful, creative force that will eventually form the world and circumstances you hope to see. While also, your words become a destructive force that begins to destroy and dismantle the negative environment that you are currently in.
Planting seeds always produces fruit of some kind or another.
When we plant positive seeds, the harvest that eventually comes will not only benefit us but others as well. This is wherein the true beauty lies. By a few simple changes in the way we think, we can not only create the world we want for ourselves but we can also “speak” better things into existence for the benefit of all!
Studies reveal that the brain’s neural network is “firing” off countless electrical charges in a given moment. As the body responds to different stimuli affecting the senses or the emotions, these electrical charges react accordingly. As behavioral patterns set in, the brain’s neural network becomes wired to cater to those patterns of thought and in so doing, builds that individual’s world or reality around their way of thinking.
So, if it is a negative, pessimistic set of emotions for example that lead to depression, anger and the like, then the brain’s neural network solidifies this pattern of thought and literally, forms that individual’s reality in the process. They in turn become depressed, bitter individuals prone to outbursts of anger.
Interestingly, the brain’s neural network has been shown to re-wire itself when a conscientious decision is made to think differently. Let’s say that same individual susceptible to anger makes a pointed decision to react differently to the outward stimulus and inner emotions triggering the anger. He or she decides to exercise gratitude instead of resigning to thoughts of bitterness or depression.
It is at this juncture that the brain’s neural network literally rewires itself and certain neurons that had been dormant began to fire up and establish new patterns of thought. The grateful individual then begins to experience blessing and abundance in his/her life since those things are natural outflows of a grateful attitude. In one simple of act of changing the way one thinks, new behavioral patterns set in, new experiences and opportunities present themselves and thus, a new world is formed. The individual has in fact, created a new reality for his or her self just by thinking differently.
In other words, how a person reacts, responds and thinks really does create their reality! It’s amazing to consider that we can begin to change our circumstances simply by reshaping our thought patterns.
Here's to the Mother's: A Mother's Day Poem
Here’s To The Mothers
Here’s to the mothers,
Who act so kind and dear,
A day of love and honor,
Held now and through the year.
A way of recognizing,
The good works that you do,
You’re on top and rising,
God’s favor is on you.
The hands of the creator,
Performed the perfect art,
When from the dust came mother,
Displaying his own heart.
To satisfy his pleasure,
God made the final touch,
And placed within this treasure,
A heart that loves so much.
With eyes that see the good things,
In all that people do,
As if God’s very feelings,
Were shining through and through.
Mothers are that special breed,
That God must surely bless,
For in their every word and deed,
They show him at his best!
Here’s to the mothers,
Who act so kind and dear,
A day of love and honor,
Held now and through the year.
A way of recognizing,
The good works that you do,
You’re on top and rising,
God’s favor is on you.
The hands of the creator,
Performed the perfect art,
When from the dust came mother,
Displaying his own heart.
To satisfy his pleasure,
God made the final touch,
And placed within this treasure,
A heart that loves so much.
With eyes that see the good things,
In all that people do,
As if God’s very feelings,
Were shining through and through.
Mothers are that special breed,
That God must surely bless,
For in their every word and deed,
They show him at his best!
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