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Standing Out Of the Crowd – How to Design A Successful Portfolio Website

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Portfolio websites are usually considered something meant only for graphic designers, web developers, design studios, artists, photographers, and the likes. But there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go for a portfolio website to get more clients or job opportunities, regardless of your job or profession, as long as you’ve got something to write home about.

A portfolio website can serve as a resume that will help you stand out of the crowd. A job applicant with his personal website will surely make a much better impression, as compared to someone presenting a typical CV, which are a dime a dozen. Having a portfolio website is one of the most effective ways of presenting and sharing your work samples, skills, and accomplishments. All you need is to share your website with prospective clients and let the website do the job. Not only that, but it will also help you brand yourself and find a better job opportunity.

And if you are thinking that a portfolio website is only for the well-established, veteran professionals then you are quite wide off the mark. Creating a portfolio website and working on your online presence via social networks like LinkedIn is equally important for fresh graduates looking for their first job.

Here’s how to make the most of your portfolio website …

The Appearance:

Appearance includes everything from logo to banner, and the overall design to colors and typography of your website. While it’s great to be a little creative and come up with an original design, however, trying to be overly creative at the expense of the usability, accessibility, or the readability of your website is not going to cut it. For example, creating a website without a header or navigation menu might be a novel idea but your potential employers might not appreciate the time or effort required in navigating through the website, so you should leave such novel ideas for graphic designers.

Talking of graphic designers, if you are looking for some inspiration, you can search for portfolio websites by some of those web designers; no wonder some of the most catchy and impressive looking portfolio websites are by web designers themselves. If you are short on budget, you can create a website yourself while using some of those freely available CMS. If you can invest a little, you can hire some freelance web designer, or simply use one of those premium templates (e.g. MotoCMS Templates).

The Content:

Content is the “meat and potatoes” of a website, be it a portfolio or any other kind of website. For a portfolio website, the main content is of course your qualification, work history, work samples, achievements, and accomplishments. Not to forget the testimonials. For a fresh graduate, it might be difficult to come up with all those achievements or testimonials to impress potential employers, but you can get some endorsements from your teachers. Regardless of the nature or type of your job, you should only present the best of your work, instead of focusing on the quantity, because usually the employers don’t have the time to go through more than 3 – 4 samples.

The Social Aspects:

Talking of the content, it is important to keep your website updated and for that, there’s nothing better than a blog. You don’t necessarily need to produce highest quality content on regular basis. All you need to do is to mix good quality posts on a relevant topic to some personal experiences and day to day activities. Not only the blog will serve as a tool to continuously update your portfolio website, but it will also help you add some social aspect to your website. You can share the good ones at social networks for some free promotion.

The Marketing:

Once you’ve a fully functional website with some content, it’s now time to market or promote your website. You don’t really need to invest your time and resources on conventional marketing techniques like SE optimization, link building, or PPC marketing. However, you should be focusing on social networking and outreach, and for that you will need to produce good quality content. Simply create a profile and spend some time at professional social networks like LinkedIn or Quora, not only you will learn a lot by Interacting with other professionals at these networks, but you will also find a lot of contacts and job opportunities from referrals.

Online Jobs Every Person Must Try

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By Peter Davidson

Survival is impossible without money unless, of course, you’ve been raised in the jungle and you can hunt with your bare hands. Whether you like it or not, you will have to adapt to the universal crisis of generating an income and supporting yourself through it.

We call it a crisis because many people, regardless of how long they’ve been playing this game, cannot seem to get the hang of it. The only thing they can be accused of is not taking the opportunities that have been made available over the last couple of years. We’re not talking about shouldering another part-time job that is situated seven blocks away from your primary workplace; we’re referring to the internet and the wonderful doors it has opened for you.

The Truth about Online Jobs

It’s normal to be excited at the prospect of earning money in the comfort of your home, but you must be warned that online jobs have a complex side that you are bound to encounter soon. We might as well tell you now that it won’t be as easy or comfortable as you originally think. Stop writing your resignation letter and save it for later, when you’ve established your virtual career. Although the web is accessible to everyone, it is not friendly to all people who wish to make a living through it. Test the waters through the online jobs listed below. You have three options from then onwards: pursue a serious career online, continue participating in online jobs for another source of income, or resort to traditional means.

Blogger on the Rise

Humans are naturally curious people; we love to probe into other people’s lives. If you doubt that fact, check the number of reality shows ongoing today. Blogging has some similarities because it is how many people share their lives with the rest of the world. The glaring difference would be the details you choose to share.

Are you a lover of art? What kind of art? Your enthusiasm for thriller novels can be turned into your greatest advantage. Publishers need the help of netizens in promoting a newly published novel. Once they see that you are a credible source for book reviews, they may offer money in exchange for your endorsement. The same principle works for travel blogs, cooking blogs, fashion blogs, and so much more, as long as you are creating compelling content.

Virtual Assistant on Demand

Computer technology has dominated the work scene since the onset of the 21st century. Businesspeople rely heavily on computers, the web, and other modern devices; however, they often don’t have time to focus on those areas of their business. Research, website creation, software installation, and related tech-skills are normally outsourced to lessen costs and to guarantee efficiency. The pay for virtual assistants depends on the work they manage to accomplish.

Survey-Taker

Paid surveys accept all kinds of people; you don’t have to worry whether your opinions are witty or have a scientific basis. Your main task here is to qualify yourself for the surveys and to answer as many surveys as you can. By qualify, we mean to promote your life in a way that will allow the surveyors to know whether you are credible to give your opinion about a certain refrigerator, car, or whatever product they’re handling.

The sole challenge that stands in your way is avoidance of fraudulent survey panels. Read about paid surveys for you to know which the real paid survey sites are. Study sites like SurveyPolice or iPoll to get an idea of how authentic panels present themselves and what other people have to say about its performance. Do this for every panel you plan to join.

Translate Your Way to the Top

Translating documents is gaining popularity online. You’re fortunate if you are capable of speaking fluently in two or more languages; you’ve just found the best outlet for that skill. Endorse your freelance translating endeavour through social networking sites. Tell your friends to recommend you to the people they know who may need the help of a translator. People pay substantial amounts of money for this service.

Author’s Bio: Peter is a blogger who is currently living in NYC. He loves working from home and earns money by freelance writing, finding and taking surveys on sites like Getpaidsurveys, training kids and working on some data entry jobs.

It Is Your Business to Know Who You Hire

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How much time in running your small business do you devote to actually knowing who comes into your office as a new employee?

In some cases, those running companies will give input and even sit in on a number of or all interviews with prospective candidates. In other cases, however, they leave it to a staff member or members to do the interviewing and ultimately hire the individual for the needed job.

So, the question then begs if you should be more active in the hiring process, especially given how too much turnover and training of countless individuals can have a negative impact on your business finances?

In the event you decide to become more active, here are some things you should look at when considering each and every applicant who walks through your doors:

* Are they truly qualified? – While many candidates who come to you seeking a job are truly qualified, others will try and pass off their experience as suitable for the job. The danger with the latter is that you could end up hiring several times until you get the right fit. Some companies will test applicants on their knowledge of the position they would be doing if hired, while others base their decision off of the person’s work background. Either way, make sure you get the most qualified man or woman in order to hopefully fill that spot for several years to come;

* Will they fit with the team in place? – Chemistry in the office is key to any successful business, so keep that in mind when you interview candidates. Does their personality seem like a good fit for the employees they would be working with? Are they outgoing and seem like they will pitch in whenever asked? Do they have a positive attitude that will help them get through stressful times, including constant deadlines? It just takes one wrong piece to mess up the puzzle of office success that you have worked to put in place;

* Is their background too social for me? – Even though there is nothing wrong with prospective candidates being on social media, more companies are checking the social backgrounds of individuals they interview, looking for any red flags. In the event they have questionable comments and/or images on their social media pages, it should at least give you pause to think about if they’d be a good fit for your business. When you look at the judgment they used in some of their tweets or shares, should you worry that they might use similar questionable judgment when working for you? If you do have such concerns, feel free to bring them up during an interview;

* Long-term plans – Finally, while it is not uncommon for workers these days to move from job to job, this unlike the days when people stayed at a company for several decades, you do not want a revolving door at your business. That being said, question each candidate on what their career plans are, where they see themselves in three to five years, and if they feel they can achieve long-term success with you. While most candidates will say the “right thing” in order to increase their chances of attaining the job, some will be very honest and tell you what their plans are. Even though you should not discount those that can’t make a long-term commitment to you, it does give you pause to think about whether or not to hire them.

As a small business owner, what do you look for when a prospective candidate walks through your doors?

Photo credit: ehow.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers small business topics for a variety of websites, including Reputation.com.

5 Ways to Kill Your Career on the Internet

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When you turned the calendar into 2013, did finding a new job rank among your top New Year’s resolutions?

As many individuals have discovered over the last few years, jobs are precious and few in this day and age. And in many cases, all it took was sending the wrong message out on the Internet to turn their life upside down.

Given that factor, here are five things you ultimately want to avoid doing while online at your present job:

1. The dreaded comment – It just takes one tweet or share to essentially put you on the Titanic, that is when it comes to staying afloat in your current job or one you are applying for. While a comment about your current boss or an ex coworker may seem innocent enough to you, it can spell doom for your career. Many companies in this day and age preach office culture, that is a culture where everyone pulls together, works as a team, and has each other’s backs. If you are seen as possibly being a loose cannon, someone who talks behind the backs of your boss or those you work with (especially via social media), the company may think otherwise about keeping or hiring you;

2. The ill-advised photo – Just about everyone likes to have fun, but that photo of you more than a little inebriated at the last office Christmas party, well it is not going to win you many points, especially once your boss or potential employer sees it all over Facebook. While your employer wants you to have fun outside the office (including office functions), they also expect you to keep some level of decorum. By splashing the photo on social media, you could lead some clients who know you to perhaps reconsider doing business with you moving forward;

3. The moment you forgot to turn off your office computer – Many employees find themselves busy at work, but sometimes they sneak in a little job hunting here and there. According to a 2012 CareerBuilder study of more than 1,000 Americans, nearly 75 percent of individuals define themselves as actively looking for a new gig or would be open to new possibilities. Meantime, close to 70 percent of employees claim searching for new jobs is part and parcel of their normal routine, with nearly one-fourth of them doing it at least once a week. In the event you are one of those types of individuals, do you ever leave an online job application and/or your online resume on your computer, go on a break or forget to turn your computer off at the end of the day, then realize such information was sitting there for anyone and everyone to see? You would be surprised how often it actually happens, so never leave yourself vulnerable to such an embarrassing and potentially job-killing moment;

4. Those you keep company with – Even though an employer can’t order you who to follow or befriend on social networking sites, it is not advised to be “hanging” with the wrong crowd. If you are following or befriending a number of questionable sites (i.e. gambling, porn, racist commentary or images), it certainly does not paint you in the best light as to rising up the career ladder at work. Yes, you are free to pick and choose who you want to chat with on social media sites, in online forums etc., but unless you lock your specific pages, they are there for all the world to see;

5. Those sites you should never visit – Finally, whether viewing it on your office computer or your mobile device, looking at certain non G-rated sites (pornographic to be exact) while on the job can be the kiss of death. Not only is such a move potentially going to land you in hot water with the boss, but it could even land you in a precarious legal position. In a day and age when political correctness has taken center stage, another employee could file a harassment suit against you and the employer, saying they were offended by what they saw you viewing online. If that happens, you give your boss a good reason to discipline or even terminate you, so avoid the risk altogether.

With all that you have riding on your career, avoid making a silly mistake that could leave more than just your computer crashing.

Photo credit: atlanticwire.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of career and small business topics, including how to remove personal information .

Living Life on the Financial Edge

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If you have a full-time job, one that pays good wages and is all but a sure thing, by all means enjoy it.

As I and millions of others discovered in recent years, a sure thing in the workplace is about as reliable as politicians in Washington, D.C. coming together for the good of the people.

Having been laid off twice in the last seven years, I can say that both experiences were different.

The first job loss in 2006 (after five-and-a-half years with the company) really came out of the blue. Even the manner in which I was informed, an email from a supervisor on a Friday morning, was a tad shocking.

After the reality of the situation set in, I did something down the road that no one should ever do, I began to panic.

How would I pay my rent? Could I still make my car payments? Would I not be able to afford health insurance now that I was on COBRA (the first layoff taught me to get my own health insurance policy, something I carry to this day)?

Despite the best parents in the world helping me out financially, I still was forced to pile up debt on credit cards, not to mention raid some of my retirement fund. I then made matters worse by temporarily moving to Arizona, taking a nearly $12,000 pay cut from the previous job I had been laid off at, and continued wallowing in debt.

After six months in Arizona, I knew that going back to California was not only something I wanted to do, I needed to do.

Was Another Layoff Possible?

So that I don’t make you change the channel, I will skip a few years from then until my second layoff last summer in marketing.

Although I was a top producer in my department (achieved three bonuses) when it came to turning out copy, I was let go after 14 months. Once the initial shock wore off, I came to realize that such a move was probably inevitable, especially given the mismanagement at the company by some of the executives.

With few full-time jobs calling my name, I went back to my old standby, freelancing.

Despite more than 20 years of writing experience, I get few if any phone calls for job interviews these days, knowing that many companies prefer paying someone just out college meager wages as opposed to what someone with decades of experience would command. I also know that many of these companies will face a revolving door of workers, those smart ones who do not take long to realize they are being underpaid, especially given today’s cost of living expenses.

While freelancing is for now keeping a roof over my head and food on the table, it is by no means job security.

Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for any work thrown my way these days, I just know that I’m living life on the financial edge.

Every time I drive by a homeless person or homeless encampment (they seem to grow by the day here in San Diego), I realize that that could be me in a month, two months, six months from now. On the other hand, I also know that there are people far worse off than I am right now.

It almost seems sad, here in the richest and most powerful country in the world, many people are not able to realize the American Dream.

What the future holds for me I can’t predict, something few if any of us can for that matter. I do know, however, that being a freelance writer is not the worse thing in the world.

That being said, I would not mind if I was not living so close to the financial edge.

Have you had ups and downs in your career over the years?

If so, what has it taught you about surviving in today’s world?

 

Photo credit: bubblews.com

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of small business topics, including finding the best invoice software.

You Get What You Pay For

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Running a small business brings with lots of excitement, hard work, and even a little head scratching at times.

As anyone who has ever run a company knows, each day pretty much brings with it a new set of challenges, circumstances, and results. For those who seize the moment, the rewards can be endless.

So, what kind of business owner are you when it comes to money? When referring to money, it means paying your employees.

For many business owners, these last few years of a challenging economy have meant that worker salaries have either been frozen or even reduced. In many cases, new employees coming into companies are seeing offers that they would typically turn down, yet a struggling economy means many are taking jobs at lower salaries.

In other instances, some employees are seeing small increases in their current pay or job offers from a year or two ago, but it typically depends on the industry, the conditions that each specific employer is dealing with, and how much competition there is for each position.

Being a small business owner, are you increasing, decreasing, or keeping your respective employee salaries about the same from last year at this time? As the well-known saying goes, you typically do get what you pay for.

For example, take a look at the field of jobs that encompasses marketing, social media, content writing and other related positions.

If you go on Craigslist or some other sites that post jobs, it is not uncommon to see marketing, social media, and content writing positions (with experience) starting for as little as $10 an hour. While that figure may sound good to someone living at home with their parents, the same someone who has little college and/or related experience, someone else will balk at such an amount.

 

Avoid the Revolving Door of Employees

If you want to avoid a revolving door of workers in and out of your office, increase your salary offers so that someone has incentive to stay with your company more than just a few months, that is until something better comes along.

Secondly, you may want to consider outsourcing some of the work to contractors and/or consultant, those individuals with experience in the field, yet who are looking to work outside an office setting.

Should you choose that route, you avoid things like medical benefits, 401k plans, and having to manage one more person in the office. With that being said, make sure you get someone who is disciplined and organized enough to work on their own.

Lastly, offering salaries that barely allow someone to put food on their table and keep a roof over their heads opens you up to potential negative publicity.

In today’s social media age, it isn’t uncommon for word to spread quickly that your company is not a good one to work for, especially given that you are paying so little and asking for so much.

So, how do you as a small business owner go about setting your worker salaries? Have you gotten positive or negative feedback from applicants in recent years?

Would love to hear your thoughts….

Photo credit: ehow.com

About the Author: With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of financial topics, including payroll outsourcing.