It’s likely one of the last questions you will hear in an interview. But, in many respects, it’s probably one of the most important questions, and may very well mean the difference between you winning or losing the job.
“Why should we hire you?”
After four years of serving as a platform for users to create an online portfolio, VisualCV will be shutting down its site on December 30, 2011, according to an e-mail sent out by the company to users today. The company has instructed users to remove all of the content that’s on the site, since no VisualCV will exist after December 30th. Below is trhe fulls text of the e-mail: Continue reading
In the age of digital business networking, it’s obvious that no site has done a better job of it than LinkedIn. While it has expanded its features to integrate Twitter, utilize apps and, most recently, the ability to follow companies, the Groups feature has been a long-standing hallmark.
Within LinkedIn Groups, there have also been changes over the years that included member-generated content, including discussions, job postings and news articles. However, one thing that has not changed is how many groups a user can join. At the moment, the limit is 50.
Though 50 groups seems like a big number, long-time users have found no problem reaching that upper limit in a very short period of time. Meanwhile, new LinkedIn groups pop up at a relatively fast pace.
Because of this, the question then lies in which groups are the most useful to you?
To figure out which LinkedIn groups are right for you, consider the following elements:
After joining the groups you want, observe the discussions, job postings and news articles for the next couple of weeks. If you find that these groups have a great deal of useful activity, you will certainly want to remain an active member.
During your trial period, you should also make note of any users who are attempting to use the group as a mailing list for their own purposes rather than the groups. If this is the case, you will probably want to either think about limiting the group e-mails you receive or, in the extreme case, leave the group altogether.
Always remember, of course, the you can get a great deal out of LinkedIn Groups, so long as you are able to utilize this feature properly.
Understandably, the subject of this could cause a bit of confusion. Most of you, at this point, would consider personal role models to be parents and prominent figures. However, when it comes to your own professional development, who can you look up to?
A role model, from a business standpoint, can simply be defined as they person who you can look to for any information. They serve as a mentor and can provide the blueprint for a work ethic you would be proud to follow.
With the volatility of the professional world, however, finding that role model, for some of us, has become increasing difficult. It’s almost impossible if you happen to find yourself in an organizational role that has been newly created and that no other person has any previous knowledge of what is entailed in your position.
Do you have to go it alone? Of course not. It truly is incumbent upon you to seek out knowledge. And realistically, that knowledge shouldn’t be too hard to find.
The first step in finding a professional role model is to seek out professional organizations that cater to your industry. Don’t be afraid that the people you meet work for other companies. There’s a good chance you will come across veterans of the industry who have been in the same position you’re in right now. And most of them are gracious with their time and would be more than happy to be of assistance.
Once you’ve been able to establish contact with a potential professional role model, take it slowly. Nothing turns people off more than inundating them with a thousand questions all at once. There will be plenty of time for that in the future.
Instead, consider scheduling something informal, like a lunch or coffee. Nothing breaks the ice like a sit-down at the local Starbucks.
Once you’ve eased into your professional relationship, you will find that your role model can be your greatest key to success.
No matter the economic or employment climate, the need for professional development is a given. For a professional in any management capacity, part of that development should involve gaining an 
understanding of the work that your subordinates do on a daily basis.
That idea has already crossed over into popular culture with the airing of the CBS reality series, “Undercover Boss,” in which corporate executives go undercover to one of their local offices and do the work of the people on the ground.
