Helping a Candidate with a Criminal Record Find a Job

Helping a Candidate with a Criminal Record Find a Job Recruiters work hard every day to find the right people for the right jobs. Even on an average day, it can be difficult to find the perfect role for candidates even with great qualifications. Every time you receive a CV from a candidate, your mission is to get them a job â€" in its simplest format, it’s still a very difficult process. Now, imagine you received a CV from someone with a criminal record, what would you do? Have you ever helped someone to get a job with a criminal record? Dealing with criminal records No recruiter could be blamed too much for disregarding CVs they receive from people with a criminal record. After all, you are already so busy with a pile of CVs from other people who are desperate for you to find them a better job. It isn’t unreasonable to think that it would be too difficult to even find the time to get someone a job with a criminal record, and even if you did, it may well turn out to be a fruitless affair. Perhaps, recruiters should give these CVs a chance, or at least, get in touch with the candidate with some advice on how they can get a job with a criminal record. For example, you might get a CV in from someone who has one, and the CV will be poorly formatted. Why not give them some advice on how they should format their CV? Or there could be a situation where the candidate doesn’t have much experience, you could potentially recommend that they do some volunteering? Of course, you don’t want to send their CVs to employers to just ‘give them a chance’, but if someone has put work into their CV since their criminal conviction, it may be worth taking a shot on them. Helping them prepare for interviews If you do decide to send their CV to an employer, you could take some time to help them prepare for the interview. Candidates with a criminal record will need to know how to react when asked about this as if they are unprepared for the question, they’re in trouble. Candidates with criminal records can’t afford to do a bad interview â€" they are already swimming upstream. Explain to them that they should not focus on it too much and their attention should be on what they’ve done since their conviction. Chase their references References are important no matter what qualifications people have, but they are particularly important for people with a criminal record. Explain to candidates the need for strong personal and professional references, because without these most employers will be hard pushed to hire someone, even if they like them in the interview. Start small It may well be the case that candidates with a criminal record will need to start off in a low paying job. This is likely to be necessary so the candidate can get back on the ladder. Be realistic with candidates and explain that it may take some time to rebuild their reputation. Consider all options You will face situations where you simply can’t find candidates with a criminal record a job and you will need to be upfront. For some candidates, it might be a realistic option for them to set up their own business, or some may be open to joining the military. Key message The primary message is that recruiters shouldn’t just bin CVs of candidates with criminal records. Give a few of them a shot and you never know where it might lead. Finding a job for someone with a criminal record would be an amazing achievement and remember that it is possible! About the author: Omar Kahn is a legal assistant at Hansen Company. He likes to write about issues relating to employment and immigration.

How to Start Your Resume Writing For a Career Change in 40s<|endoftext|>

How to Start Your Resume Writing For a Career Change in 40sWhen you are looking for ideas on how to start your resume writing for a career change in 40s, you will probably be surprised that there are so many ways to go about it. In this article, I will share with you some of the things that I found when I was changing careers in my late thirties. Keep in mind that the circumstances that surround this situation can vary from one person to another, but the tips here should be helpful to any individual.The first thing that you need to remember is that many people at this age are so used to the status quo that they simply do not think that there are any changes happening to their lives. The idea of a change may have crossed their minds, but the problem is that many of them are still living their entire life within the bubble of the family that they grew up in. This means that they have not been forced to think about finding a new career path. Most of them have spent their entire lives do ing what they have always done, instead of exploring what is possible.A career change can be a very freeing experience for an individual, as they begin to think differently about their lives. However, if this is not brought up to them when they enter their thirties, then they will automatically think that it is too late to do anything about it. One way to get around this is to make yourself different from the rest of the people that you are going to be competing with. You can still communicate your talents and skills to your potential employer, but at the same time, you will be bringing something new to the table that other candidates do not have.It is a little difficult to understand why so many people want to be a bit different, especially when it seems to be easier for everyone else to be exactly who they are. However, this is simply a state of mind. If you feel uncomfortable being yourself, then it is more than likely that you have not decided yet whether or not you want to chan ge careers. Many people simply do not want to lose their identity.Being realistic about your expectations when you are entering the job market is also extremely important. While you may have no doubt of your capabilities, the job market can be quite unforgiving at times. You will find that there are some jobs that you will not be able to get because your skills are more than adequate for the position, while there are others that are not able to hire anyone who is qualified for the job.Finding some employment before you even get to the interview stage is very important. The reason why this is important is because you need to get feedback from potential employers as to what you have to offer them. You can use resume writing for a career change in 40s to help you get started in your job search. This way, you will be able to write your CV (Curriculum Vitae) and learn as much as you can about the industry that you are in.Once you have some experience with your resume, you can begin to ho ne your skills even further. At this point, you will want to contact as many companies as you can, and find out what kind of opportunities they are offering. However, be careful not to overreach and use your resume to the point where you are overwhelmed. Instead, start out with a small number of resumes, and then expand once you find some of the jobs that are best suited for you.Finally, resume writing for a career change in 40s is about being proactive about your search for a new job. You will not make a lot of money during this stage of your life, so it is a good idea to relax and enjoy yourself while you are still enjoying your current job.

How to Upgrade Your Resume, Part 4 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Upgrade Your Resume, Part 4 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Would you like a resume that helps you advance your career by appealing to hiring managers and recruiters who review your resume?  As an executive career coach who sees hundreds and writes many resumes each month, I can tell you that less than 10% of the resumes out there are effective. I want you to be in the top 10%. This series of  posts  discuss  resumes for  HUMAN readers, not those optimized for online applications and inhuman resume screening software. In Part 1, we reviewed the importance of your resume passing the  â€œ15-Second Skim Test”  and examined ideas to help you avoid being instantly rejected by recruiters and others. In Part 2, we began the process of walking through the typical professional or executive resume from top to bottom and discussed  the first page header and (optional) objective. In Part 3, we discussed various information groupings that people locate in advance of their work history, such as those labeled Summary, Objective, Profile, or Qualifications. In this, Part 4, we need to consider what you choose to include in your reverse chronological work history. For resumes being read by humans, this is the “meat”. This is where you must provide well organized information that sells your value to whatever depth the reader desires. Organization of work history information It is conventional and preferred that you group  your work history by employer and list the employers in reverse chronological order. If you have had contract work or were self-employed at certain times, these chunks of your history  can be shown similar to a job with an employer. For example, if you had three sequential contract jobs then you could lump these together and describe them under your contracting business entity name (such as “XYZ Consulting”, if applicable) or use descriptive wording that substitutes for an employer name (such as “Contract Assignments”). After listing your most recent employer name or a similar descriptive placeholder, it is conventional to list your work location beside it. On the same line, you also need to  specify dates as years or months/years right justified. Using years without months can  avoid drawing attention to out-of-work periods. This  would look like: ABC Software, Atlanta, GA          2011-Present On the next line, some people choose to include a brief description of the employer. I recommend this and it would look like: ABC Software is a $40 million  company that develops  software used by  auto dealership finance departments. List your most recent job title on the next line and, if you have more than one job title with  the employer, list appropriate dates like this: Software Developer          2013-Present After this, it is desirable to provide brief informational items that are bulleted for ease of reading. Bulleted work history resume items When someone wants to dig into your resume and learn about the details of what you have accomplished, they jump  to these bulleted items. Describing responsibilities can provide basic information, but  quantified results and other specifics are normally far stronger. (Exception: If your numbers are weak, then dont quantify and specify.) Here is an example of a weak responsibility bullet and a strong results bullet: Responsible for writing application code that calculates automobile lease rates and various loan data. Create and verify the accuracy of an average of 700 lines of new C++ application code weekly that passes quality assurance testing at a 99.2% rate. Create additional bulleted items as needed to provide a balanced description of your accomplishments and activities in each job more information for newer positions, less information for older positions. Resume work history summary If you are a new graduate or early in your career, the work history section of your resume may be brief or nonexistent.  As you acquire more experience, it should expand to become  the largest portion of your document. Human resume readers want this section of your resume to be in reverse chronological order, be  consistently organized, and contain brief bulleted entries that include a good mix of significant, quantified results (dollars, head counts, percentages, etc.). Do these things  and you can rest assured this portion of your resume will be of higher quality than 90% of your job competitors. Your readers will appreciate it and you will have a higher chance of gaining their attention. For additional tips beyond what is covered in this series of blog posts, check out Chapter 6 in my job search book Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Good luck and best wishes.

How to develop your unique personal brand

How to develop your unique personal brand As a trainer for Warwick’s ‘Sprint’ programme one of the sessions I run is about personal branding. When I ask students to identify well- known company brands, almost every time the same few come up: Apple, Google, Macdonald’s and Coca-Cola. What can we learn about these brands? Why are they are so instantly recognisable? And how can some of the lessons of these successful brands inform the creation and development of your unique personal brand? Well-known brands When I ask students to identify words they associate with these organisations they are quick to highlight, in the case of Apple, for example: ‘quality, iconic, covetable, attractive, intuitive, expensive.’ For MacDonald’s: ‘Quick, cheap, tasty, convenient, red and yellow, bad for you.’  Not all the qualities are positive . But overall, the size and reach of the brand along with their popularity outweighs the negatives. Your personal brand Whether you like it or not, you already have a brand. People who know you and even those who have simply met you briefly will have formed an opinion on you based on what they’ve seen and heard and according to how you behave. Think about other people you know and take a moment to consider five words to describe them. People will subconsciously do the same about you. Maybe it’s worth asking one or two close friends or family members which words they would use to describe you as a starting point. Are you happy with what you hear? Is it what you’d imagined they would say? We all have blind spots so feedback from others is valuable. Once you have this feedback you can decide how you’d like to cultivate your brand. Identify your values Values are your starting point. Your values will determine how you respond and react to situations and ideas. We rarely take the time to reflect on our values but we all have them. Some will be ingrained through our upbringing, others we will develop over time. Our values may change over time in terms of the order of importance and sometimes we will embrace some new ones, based on our life experiences. Take a look at this values activity  to identify yours and complete the suggested ranking exercise. Do your behaviours reflect your values? Your values are your inner compass. If your behaviours stem from your values, you will demonstrate congruence. People observing you or listening to you will view you as authentic. When your values are compromised but you don’t stand up for them, you will feel uncomfortable internally and what you say may be at odds with what you really feel and think. This undermines your brand. The power of the visual Does your image reflect your values? Are you comfortable with it? It’s up to you how you present yourself to the outside world. You need to be comfortable with your image. Some people make no concession to image and ‘what you see is what you get’. At this end of a spectrum a person will be extremely comfortable with their image. At the other end a person could feel a need to compromise their image in order to ‘fit’ the expectation of others. ‘Love Island’ contestants are the extreme end of visual brand management. We will each find our place on the spectrum and this will inform our brand. How can you develop your brand? Advice I have found particularly insightful from two University of Warwick academics: 1) Professor Gwen Van der Velden (Academic Director,   Warwick International Higher Education Academy) suggests we should all have 1 or 2 ‘kites’ to fly…those things that we are passionate and knowledgeable about and that we become ‘go-to’ people for. You may already have kites that you fly. You can use social media and public platforms such as societies to develop a following for these and build your brand with things you genuinely care about. Your kites may give an indication of potential career directions you choose to follow as these are likely to resonate with your values. 2) At one of Warwick’s ‘Inspiring Women’ talks, Professor Ng (Warwick Manufacturing Group) suggested that rather than having role models, who are after all human and fallible, we should learn from others’ behaviours and observe what they do well. We could then ‘try on’ some of these behaviours and test them out to see whether they work for us. If they do, they can be absorbed into our repertoire and our brand. I really like this notion of a ‘dressing up box’ of behaviours. It illustrates that our brands will evolve and become clearer over time both to ourselves and others. In summary, we all have a unique brand. Understand yours and cultivate it in order to develop your personal power. Understanding yourself and what’s important to you can inform the decisions you take, the people you meet and want to cultivate and the career choices you make.

The Value of Writing Articles on Writing a Teacher Resume

The Value of Writing Articles on Writing a Teacher ResumeTeachers are very much in demand nowadays, as the jobs that they do is constantly increasing. There are teachers that even have their own websites nowadays, so they can be reached easily and quickly. If you want to get your resume noticed by these employers, it is essential that you provide good quality scholarly articles on writing a teacher resume. This will be more effective than other things that you can put on it.Writing a resume is not just about listing your job experience and educational qualifications. It should also include information about teaching techniques you have personally used in handling your students. This is one of the most important aspects in your resume. There is nothing worse than looking for an open job only to find out that you have used various different teaching techniques in doing so.You can think of these articles as separate essays and then create an outline for each one. You can write your outl ine according to the specific job that you are applying for. For example, if you are looking for a job in elementary education, you should be able to write a synopsis of your work as a teacher in elementary school.You may also write short stories that you have written about how you handled certain problems that students have encountered. On the other hand, if you are looking for a job in middle or high school, you can write a couple of short articles on teaching techniques and professional experiences in that field. These articles should also include the specific jobs that you held in those departments.It is important that you note down all the specific jobs that you held within the areas that you have already mentioned in your outline, as well as the professional experience that you have within that particular field. These data points should be included in your list of academic credentials. Since you are providing these data points, it is likely that these employers will want to ch eck out your academic credentials.It is also important that you state your teaching techniques on your resume. This is because teachers who know how to best handle a certain student can possibly be able to handle others in a way that will make them achieve higher grades. It is always best to be honest in providing these data points.The research that you have conducted regarding certain subjects in the area that you are applying for will also be included in your resume, especially if it is something that you have written in short articles. For example, if you are seeking a job in elementary education, you may write about the different ways that you could have made it through the school curriculum. It would also be useful to mention that teachers you have worked with that had certain advantages and disadvantages in handling their students.This is a wonderful way to highlight your strengths and create your potential. Employers love to see how hardworking you are when it comes to dealin g with students. When you write good quality articles on writing a teacher resume, you will be more than guaranteed to get hired for the job that you are applying for.

Bob McIntosh How to Use LinkedIn to Find Your Next Job. [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Bob McIntosh â€" How to Use LinkedIn to Find Your Next Job. [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode #101 â€" Marc interviews LinkedIn expert Bob McIntosh on applying LinkedIn to your job search. Description Bob McIntosh is a career trainer who leads more than 15 job search workshops at an urban career center. He also critiques LinkedIn profiles and conducts mock interviews. Bob started the first LinkedIn program at MassHire Lowell Career Center and created workshops to support the program. Jobseekers from across the state attend his LinkedIn workshops. Bob has gained the reputation as an authority on LinkedIn. Marc has known of Bob for many years, but they had never met. Marc heard Bob on an episode of Mark Anthony Dyson’s The Voice of Jobseekers Podcast and knew he had to have Bob on as a guest. Key Takeaways: [1:22] Marc welcomes you to Episode 101 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [1:34] If you’re enjoying this podcast, Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, Google Play and the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, Overcast, TuneIn, Spotify, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, or tell your neighbors and colleagues so Marc can help more people. [1:55] Next week, Marc will interview Michael O’Brien, who, like Marc, suffered from a near-fatal bicycle accident. Hear how this changed his life. Michael is the author of Shift: Creating Better Tomorrows: Winning at Work and in Life. [2:14] This week, Marc interviews Bob McIntosh. Marc starts with Bob’s bio. Now on to the podcast… Download Link | iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast| Podbean | TuneIn | Overcast [3:29] Bob leads workshops at an urban career center and counsels individuals one-on-one. The workshops range from resume writing to LinkedIn to salary negotiations. Bob is more of a job coach than simply a workshop facilitator. [3:57] Bob developed the first LinkedIn workshop at the [then] Career Center of Lowell and since then, he has been updating workshops to meet the needs better of their clients. He finds great pleasure out of helping people find work. [4:16] The average client age at the career center is about 55. What older workers need to realize is that between 87% and 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find talent. Employers want to know that candidates are tech savvy and use platforms like LinkedIn. Finally, LinkedIn is a great platform for landing a job through professional networking. [5:29] To use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook effectively says you are up-to-date. If you don’t use them, you are invisible. Bob has read that 40% of employers will disqualify you just for not being on LinkedIn. [6:00] Bob says there are three components to a successful LinkedIn campaign, profile, networking with the right people, and being engaged on LinkedIn. [6:27] It’s very important that LinkedIn users have a full profile with all of its sections completed. Bob lists the parts. It must include keywords relating to their occupation and areas of expertise that will make the profile searchable. Bob explains how to use them. [7:24] Bob sees the profile as more of a personal resume than the resume itself. Bob says your resume can be in the first-person or third-person point of view. It’s a networking document, like sitting down and talking with an employer. [7:57] Bob considers the uses of first-person vs. third-person point of view resumes. Most people use the first-person point of view. [8:58] Try to have a tone on your profile that speaks personally, in first-person POV. [9:04] Structure your LinkedIn networking with the right people. First, the people you work (or worked) with â€" supervisor and colleagues. Second, people who do the same type of work you do. Third, people in the same industry, with something in common with you. Then add people who do your kind of work in different industries. [9:42] Try to connect with recruiters, in the same industry in which you are looking. Networking is a two-way street. [10:18] For younger folks, focus on alumni and professors. LinkedIn’s See Alumni feature lets you see people who went to your alma mater. [10:53] Bob recommends 500+ connections. 10K is not too many. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you’re going to have in terms of people reaching out to you and finding you. [11:17] Once you have connected with people, every once in a while, ping them and let them know that you’re there. [11:32] Marc suggests going through your connections once a week, picking two or three that you haven’t heard from in a while, and send them a “checking in” email. A significant number will respond. [12:08] Bob suggests considering removing from your network people who don’t respond. It’s about communication. [12:26] For your headshot: In 2003 it needed to be really professional. Things have gotten a little more informal. Aim for a headshot that reflects the sort of work you do. A banker would stay with a suit and tie. A job coach might wear a nice button shirt with a little bit “going on” in the background. No selfies. [13:49] The background image needs to brand you. Does it reflect the kind of work that you do? [14:14] Without a headshot your site is much less likely to be visited or seen. Know what message you are sending with your headshot and background image. Marc shares a couple of case studies from his jobs club. Your background image needs to explain who you are, what you do, and what you are trying to accomplish. [17:43] Take that message into your summary and your experience section. What you are doing is showing value and branding yourself. [17:54] Marc talks about the case of an obscure profession. He recommends finding people with their same degree and same graduating eras, and look at what they are doing. [19:10] To find recruiters, type in the search area: recruiter, your industry, your location. That will give you a list of local recruiters in your industry. Vet them by their profiles. What is more difficult is to grab their attention. The invite you send them should show what your value is in your industry. [20:53] Be nice to recruiters. Marc refers to the episode with Gary O’Neal. Gary is a recruiter for Austin HR (Now Asure Software). Recruiters are busy and may not always have time to respond back but you want to be a polite persistent pest with them. [21:47] What job seekers need to understand is that recruiters are working for the clients which would be the companies. Endear yourself to them. The right type of recruiter can be of great help. [22:08] Marc recommends sending a recruiter that has been very helpful to you a $5.00 Starbucks card, even if you didn’t get the job. Marc gives a client example. [23:24] Engagement may be the most important step. It keeps you on your network’s radar. Bob gives some examples of how to engage. Don’t just ‘like’ what people share. Leave pertinent comments. Start conversations and keep them going. [24:52] Marc gets a lot of spam comments on his website and he always hits the spam button. People who are just trying to get SEO off a post are not worth the connection. When people send Marc a blank LinkedIn invite, he accepts it and immediately sends back I accepted your connection. How did you find me? [26:06] Marc gets 30 to 50 connection requests a week. He responds to them, 10 at a time. Bob’s thought is if you’re not even putting in the effort to send a personalized invite, why should we connect? [26:56] Marc doesn’t connect from the mobile app because it is too easy to send a generic invite to “people you may know.” You can send a personalized invite, but it is easy to forget. Bob just did that yesterday, in error. [28:01] Marc talks about folks in the CareerPivot online community doing remote job searches. He recommends them to curate material, share it, and tag specific individuals saying “You might be interested in this.” Share articles of value to your connections and be helpful. [28:48] Bob notes that Mark Anthony Dyson is a great curator of information that he shares with his connections. [29:05] Marc has four or five places where he looks for material. One of these is NextAvenue.org. There are many things there that are useful to his audience. [29:47] Bob’s final advice: If you want to be on LinkedIn and you want to use it in your job search, then it’s going to take work. It’s not just simply setting up a profile, connecting with people, and then simply being active on LinkedIn. It’s going to entail all of what was talked about in this episode. [30:35] Bob re-emphasizes, LinkedIn takes work. Put in the time to use LinkedIn successfully. [31:06] Marc’s number one problem with his clients is getting them to put themselves out there. They want to write their LinkedIn profile and put it on auto-pilot. However, they must compete with people all over the world for jobs. Show what makes you different. This is especially important if you are a little older. [31:41] It’s not bragging. Don’t promote yourself obnoxiously. Be factual. Be proud of what you’ve done but don’t brag. On the other hand, don’t just remain silent. You have to make a bold statement because you want people to go on and read the rest. [32:53] Marc thanks Bob for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. People can get in touch with Bob at LinkedIn.com/in/BobMcIntosh. If you send an invite to Bob, please personalize it! When people don’t personalize an invite to Bob, it’s a very easy decision â€" it’s click “Ignore.” [34:08] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode, especially about activity vs. engagement. This takes work but it will pay off in spades in the future. You just need to work at it. [35:39] Check back next week when Marc will interview Michael O’Brien, author of Shift: Creating Better Tomorrows: Winning at Work and in Life. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

The Ultimate CEO Twitter List - CareerEnlightenment.com

Business Advising ResourcesThese CEOs are in the business of helping other CEOs, filling employment needs, sales software, and Twitter streams.@smallbiztrends:As Small Business Treds CEO, Anita Campbell shares the latest news in trends for the small business sector.@hamlesh:As CEO of Peritus Group, Hamlesh Motah talks about tech, finance, motorbikes, and pulling up troubled businesses.@davidrutkauskas:The CEO of Beautiful Brands discusses how your great idea can be branded into greatness.@jamescaan:James Caan is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of the Hamilton Bradshaw private equity firm.@CEO_INGDIRECT:Peter Aceto, CEO of ING Direct Canada offers insight on finance, business, and even learning online.@FrancisBoulle:CEO of FundMine Francis Boulle talks angel investment and venture capital on @FrancisBoulle.@howardlindzon:Howard Lindzon, CEO and co-founder of Stocktwits.com tweets about trends in social finance.@StevePoizner:As the CEO of Encore Career Institute, Steve Poizner discusses addressing the education and employment needs of baby boomers.@gcolony:Forrester Research CEO George Colony tweets about what drives the success of CEOs.@Benioff:Marc Benioff, leader of Salesforce.com, has plenty to share on business, sales, startups, and software.@ManpowerGroupJJ:Follow ManpowerGroup chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres for insight into the job market, unemployment, and which jobs employers are struggling to fill.@TomHCAnderson:CEO of Anderson Analytics Tom HC Anderson discusses next gen market research and text analytics.@CHRISVOSS:Strategix One CEO Chris Voss shares his expertise in social media and strategic business consulting on Twitter.@jasonalba:Follow JibberJobber CEO Jason Alba to learn about how professionals can manage their careers online.@RickM:Rick Myers is the founder and CEO of Talent Zoo, tweeting all about digital jobs searching.Marketing PRGood marketers know Twitter is not to be ignored, and it’s clear that these marketing and PR CEOs have embraced the service.@randfish:Rand Fishkin is the CEO and founder of SEOmoz, frequently tweeting about inbound marketing, SEO, startups, and entrepreneurship.@kelkelly:Founder and CEO of Kel Partners Kel Kelly discusses what it’s like to run an anti-agency agency that works in social media.@CommunispaceCEO:Communispace CEO Diane Hessan is a lover of all things marketing, baseball, and politics.@Ischaefer:Deep Focus CEO Ian Schaefer loves to tweet about branding and advertising, especially in social media.@skaritt:Social media junkie and CEO of FlockMarketing.com tweets all about marketing through social networking.@tombed:CEO of AKQA Tom Bedecarre discusses his work in digital marketing and technology serves.@FuelOnline:Fuel CEO Scott Levy has been working in social media and SEO since 1997.@DaveBalter:BzzAgent CEO Dave Balter discusses word of mouth marketing in a major way.@leplan:This InRev CEO is a great follow if you’re interested in demystifying Twitter marketing.@InboundSales:T he founder and CEO of Inbound Sales Network Andrew Hunt shares his findings as he looks for better ways to make sales and marketing work together.Media ArtTraditional and online publishing, TV, and even celebrities make up our media and art CEO Twitter list.@mashable:CEO of Mashable Pete Cashmore is full of the latest news and resources for developments among the “connected generation.”@mediatrustpete:Follow MediaTrust CEO Peter Bordes for discussions on performance marketing and interactive advertising.@SteveForbesCEO:Media magnate and CEO of Forbes Media Steve Forbes tweets about media trends, innovation, and investment.@copyblogger:Brian Clark, Copyblogger Media CEO, shares his view on content marketing, copywriting, and online publishing on Twitter.@JohnFMoore:Gov In The Lab  magazine founder and CEO John Moore discusses bridging the divide between citizens, politicians, and the government.@BewarMaronsi:Universal Digest CEO Bewar Maronsi, developing an interactive writing c ommunity that makes a difference.@upbeatmag:Bridget Petrella tweets about being a zen-like CEO and entrepreneur on @upbeatmag.@joshpeak:Josh Peak is the co-CEO of specialty online advertising agency Authority Media Group.@BrandonTalks:CEO and founder of Vidfair Brandon Keating tweets about making people popular as a new media mogul.@RayJ:RayJ is the CEO of Knockout Entertainment and RnB Productions, sharing his insight as an artist, as well as a music and TV producer.@JasonBinn:CEO and founder of dujour.com Jason Binn has a lot to share about the world of niche media.@garyvee:@VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk loves to talk social media, the thank-you economy, and of course, wine, on his highly interactive Twitter account.@GeorgeRJensenJR:George Jensen is the CEO of StarValue Productions, offering insight into the industry of social networking entertainment.@LA_Reid:Learn about the music industry from LA Reid, chairman and CEO of Epic Records.@PaulKirchoff:CEO of SaleAMP Paul Kirchoff tweets about performance Internet marketing.@brookeburke:CEO of Modern Mom CEO Brooke Burke shares updates from Dancing with the Stars, her book, and her role as a mom.@GaryStockman:Porter Novelli CEO Gary Stockman tweets about global communications and the interplay between people and technology.@sherylunderwood:The Talk co-host Sheryl Underwood moonlights as a comedienne and CEO of Pack Rat Productions.@ashanti:Famous musician and CEO of Written Entertainment Ashanti shares her latest here on Twitter.@demandrichard:Richard Rosenblatt is the co-founder and CEO of Demand Media.@ScottBourne:BMG CEO and publisher of Photofocus.com Scott Bourne has a lot to share about media and art on @ScottBourne.…And MorePolitics, entrepreneurship, health care, and retail sales all round out our list of incredible CEOs that are active on Twitter.@richardbranson:Follow Virgin CEO Richard Branson for insight into entrepreneurship at its finest.@AnthonyGemma:Follow CEO and Congress candidate Anthony Gemma here on Twitter.@zappos:Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh tweets about delivering happiness, two shoes at a time, plus great inspiration.@betashop:Fab CEO Jason Goldberg discusses “the product” on @betashop.@JeffBooth:Follow Jeff Booth, founder and CEO of BuildDirect, for discussions on business strategy, home improvement, and transforming the building materials industry.@CraigHerkert:President and CEO of Supervalu Craig Herkert discusses retail sustainability and the supermarket life.@AmFamJack:Jack Salzwedel is the chairman and CEO of American Family Mutual Insurance Group, discussing finance, insurance, and even politics.@MedtronicCEO:Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak is a great person to follow and learn about the latest in medical technology.@mtbert:Mark T. Bertolini is chairman and CEO at Aetna, but he prefers to make things personal, tweeting about family life and sports.@coffeemaverick:Follow Dillanos Coffee Roasters CEO David Morris to find out about the latest in the coffee world.@ rickseaney:CEO of FareCompare Rick Seaney shares his passion for finding air travel deals.@chestales:CEO of Delicious, TV chef judge and author of  Chefs Tales  Michael Saxon tweets here as @Chefstales.@tonyfernandes:Learn about travel, soccer, and entrepreneurship from Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia.@tonyhawk:Skateboarding CEO Tony Hawk discusses his life as a kid chauffeur and videogame character on @tonyhawk.@Solarplant:As CEO of Doosan Group, Yongmaan Park discusses nuclear power and related topics as @Solarplant.@FredCuellar:Founder and CEO of Diamond Cutters International Fred Cuellar tweets his favorite news stories and inspiration as @FredCuellar.@ThomRainer:President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Stores Thom Rainer shares his favorite links and insights through his Twitter account.@FREDHASSEN:CEO, owner, and founder of Sit Means Sit Fred Hassen offers plenty of tweets about dog training.

How To Let Go of an Employee Who Has Become Your Friend

How To Let Go of an Employee Who Has Become Your Friend Problems arise when you have to decide how to let go of an employee who has become your friend. This is not a pretty situation by any means, because it may end up costing you a friendship that you would like to keep. If you are in a management or leadership position, there will come a time when you will have to let go of an employee who has become your friend. And it stinks no getting around it. You will have to develop a thick ‘outer shell’ for the experience, which you may not like. However, by using some guidelines, the process will hopefully be easier on youâ€"and possibly the employee as well. With a little luck, you may be able to save the friendship. Take the employee/friend off into a room where you cannot be interrupted, and stay calm. Offer a drink (preferably alcoholic, but since you are at work, you probably shouldnt), and sit down.  Do not take a drink for yourselfâ€"your hands will be occupied, but the drink will give them something to occupy their hands. Explain that the two of you need to have a talk, and bring out any documentation, such as performance reviews, that you may have to back you up. When the friend/employee hears the words “we need to have a talk,” be prepared for them to automatically become defensive. In my opinion, workplace relationships should consist of regular reviewsâ€"whether they are quarterly, annually or based on a different time period, it doesn’t matter. Using these reviews as a method to help back you up when having to let your friend go makes the process easierâ€"you have documentation. Reviews are summaries of an employee’s performance, and if done properly, will help you when if it is time to let go of the employee/friend. Pay increases, behavior issues, as well as timeliness, and a variety of other things. When it comes time to actually let go of an employee who has become a friend from their job, you will have to have a good reason why. Don’t come up with an excuseâ€"be truthful. If there are too many employees on the payroll, and your friend happens to be one of the newest ones, and budget cuts are happening, it’s just a fact of life. They must go. Serious behavior issues are a simple (but uncomfortable) reason to get rid of your friend. For example, has it been proven that this person sexually harassed another employee? That can bring on a lawsuit that you don’t want, so be careful. Be fair though, and listen to the employee/friend’s objections. If they offer a solution to the situation that you had not considered, tell them you will take it under advisement. Then think about it for a specific amount of time. If it still doesn’t work for you, the firing stands. During the process of letting the employee go, above all stay calm. Don’t yell, but be firm and truthful. Make sure that you empathize with them. Letting go of an employee that has become your friend is not easy, but sometimes necessary.