4 Hiring Tips for Small Businesses and Startups - Spark Hire

4 Hiring Tips for Small Businesses and Startups - Spark HireThe first few employees that your small business or startup hires make a huge difference in how the company is able to move forward. When youve got a small business or startup, employees need to be willing to take on tasks that may not necessarily be in their job description in order to benefit the overall good of the company. In order to make your new talent a success, keep these small business and startup hiring tips in mindHave a job descriptionThough youll need someone who is flexible and can take on different roles when needed, you also dont want to overlook the importance of creating a job description when hiring. People need to know whats expected of them when they take on a new position. They should also have set goals defined for them so they can understand what constitutes success at work.Know what your competitors are up toSome small business owners dont like to pay attention to what their competitors are doing be cause it makes them flustered. While you dont want to be so wrapped up in your competition that you lose sight of your own goals, you also need to be aware of whats out there and what the marketplace looks like. If another business is unveiling some new product or service that could change the industry, you need to be aware of this so you can act accordingly. Pretending its not happening wont do your company or your employees any favors.Focus on a few key traitsWhile youre still trying to spread the word about your brand, you may find that getting people to apply for jobs isnt as easy as you thought. For this reason, youll need to be a little less picky as youre sorting through resumes. Go through and make a list of key traits that are absolutely essential for a new hire to have. For instance, they must have people skills or they must be a good writer. When you have this list, focus only on these traits when hiring for a specific role and be mora relaxed about others. Does it really matter if they went to the most prestigious college? If necessary, couldnt you train them on that computer program that you wish they knew how to use? Instead of focusing on 10-15 traits and getting frustrated when no one is meeting your requirements, pick only the most important.Know what you can offerThought you may not be able to offer the cushy salary and benefits packages that major corporations can provide, small businesses have a level of flexibility that is highly appealing to candidates. Focus on these traits when youre recruiting. Consider allowing candidates to work a flexible schedule or to work from home, perhaps. Maybe even employees to bring their dogs to work. These unexpected perks can make your business highly appealing, thus helping you to land great hires even when youre working with a more limited hiring budget.What does your small business or startup do to excel at recruiting? Share with us in the commentsImage monkeybusinessimages/BigStock.com

10 Green Dream Jobs to Save the World and Earn a Living

10 Green Dream Jobs to Save the World and Earn a Living10 Green Dream Jobs to Save the World and Earn a LivingWant to save the planet and earn a living while you do it? Maybe its time to consider a career change to one of these green dream jobs. Theres something here for every interest, skill set, and educational background. Best of all, many of these green jobs pay quite well- some over six figures. 01Chief Sustainability OfficerResolution Productions / Getty ImagesTwo-thirds of Urban and rtlich Planners worked for local government in 2014, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Urban Planners typically plan land use programs to help create and expand communities. This is an important role, especially in cities and towns that are experiencing high population growth.Annual Median Salary $54,137Occupational Outlook 2014-2024 6 percentTypical Entry-Level Education Masters Degree

On shutting my mouth, knowing my room and looking out for #1

On shutting my mouth, knowing my room and looking out for 1On shutting my mouth, knowing my room and looking out for 1You know what Im into these days? Shutting my mouth and letting other people make me smarter.There are so many people out there with incredible knowledge of a given topic or industry. They have spent years working through a challenge and now possess answers worth their weight in gold.So when I watch a video tutorial or have a chance at a 1-on-1 lesson, I stop talking and start listening.And thats when the a ha moments happen. Thats when I learn genius new concepts.Who can you ask for advice this week? Once the person starts to drop knowledge bombs, you need to nod furiously, take notes and generally be a sponge.Never stop absorbing.- - - Heres the thing youve gotta know your room.When you have the chance to speak in front of a group, your talk must be customized for the people in the seats. What do they care about? How should you adjust your message?A one-size-fits- all approach doesnt fly when you give a presentation. Think about the audience first, and youll never go wrong.Unless, of course, you talk too much. But thats a different topic for a different day.- - - And finally never apologize for looking out for your own career.If other people think youre pushy, so be it. No one and I mean no one will fight for you as hard as youll fight for yourself.Bosses, business partners and others you deal with generally have good intentions, but they are focused on their own bottom line as they should be.Make people remember you provide a special kind of value they cant find anywhere else.This article first appeared on DannyRubin.com.

Convince the Employer Youre the One to Hire

Convince the Employer You're the One to Hire Convince the Employer You're the One to Hire Convince the Employer You're the One to Hire Unless you're a masochist, you want to work for a good employer, one that's financially sound and sells superior products or services. You also want an employer that provides you with ample opportunity to grow in your career, encourages you to pick up new skills, and balances your job with the rest of your life. And you might ask yourself: How do I find one of those employers? When you find them, you should ask yourself: What can I do for them? That's what they may be interested in most. Each year, Fortune magazine publishes a list of the top 100 best companies to work for. In a recent list, the magazine focused on 25 that are each trying to fill at least 700 job openings. I read a brief profile for each of the 25, particularly how job seekers would best impress recruiters. Most of them said: Know something about the company, and Show how your skills fit into the job. For instance, here's what American Express looks for: Consider how your skills translate to the role you're seeking and help us make that connection when we interview you, says Oriana Vogel, vice president for experienced hire recruitment, global recruitment, and workforce planning. Then, there's Intel: What impresses a recruiter is a well-prepared candidate with clear accomplishments, tremendous passion, and the ability to connect his or her experience and skills directly to the job he or she is going after, says Pam Anderson, staffing account manager. This reinforces what we've said many times on the Blog:In yourresume, cover letter, and interviews, you must demonstrate how you see yourself in the job, help them see the special skills and experience that make you more valuable than other candidates, and know as much as you can about the company and its industry. That approach will show you're not just informed; you're focused on the opportunity and even excited about it. Employers like job seekers who want to work for them and can demonstrate that.

NASAs Alien Tire

NASA’s Alien Tire NASA’s Alien Tire NASA’s Alien Tire NASA is dedicated to futuristic vehicles and missions, but the agency is also setting out to reinvent the wheel. The new superelastic tire developed at NASAs Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is built to thrive on inhospitable planets such as Mars, where the rocky terrain is hard to maneuver and temperatures can reach -130 C. But the real advantage of the new tire is its ability to carry heavy loads without suffering permanent damage. For lunar and planetary rovers that are intended to explore for months or years with no hope of getting spare parts, that is a real benefit. Tire damage became a concern for NASA engineers in 2013 after they noticed significant wheel degradation on Curiosity, the car-sized rover that explored Gale Crater on Mars. We wanted to ensure any wheels sent to Mars never got damaged again, says Santo Padula, a materials research engineer at Glenn. Engineers test their new airless tire in loose sand at the Glenn Research Center. Image: NASA A team led by Colin Creager, a mechanical engineer at NASA, had been developing tire prototypes based on a steel spring design. These springs could carry heavy loads but faced limits on the force and deformation they could handle. Too much, and the wheels would fracture due to excessive stretching of bonds between atomic structures. Also for You: Need to 3D print something on Mars? Heres what you need to know. Instead of steel, Padula recommended fashioning a wheel from a nickeltitanium shape-memory alloy, which had a unique deformation mechanism that could snap a tire back into its original shape in case of deformities. The alloy is able to reshape itself due to a unique deformation method. Rather than expanding the bonds of a crystal lattice, it rearranges the atomic structure to another crystal lattice form. That means that if the solid element needs to bend or deform when hurdling over an obstacle like a rock, it would come back to its original shape instead of separating or fracturing. Shape-memory alloy tires may someday be used in automobiles, heavy equipment, and military vehicles. After several years of trials, the team believes it has hit on the right formula for the alloy. The nickel-titanium alloy can take a 10 percent to 12 percent strain, while the earlier materials had only a 0.3 percent strain. The engineers have tested the new tires with a load of 140 poundsup to hundreds of times the weight of the tiresand believe they could support even more. Though the tires were designed with space it mind, the NASA engineers have perhaps a loftier goal in sight. We want to see this used on earth, Creager says. Shape-memory alloy tires may someday be used in automobiles, heavy equipment, and military vehicles. The airless design could give vehicles better traction on sand and dirt, and might ultimately reduce the amount of rubber used in tires. Readmoreabout new advances in manufacturing and design on ASME.org

9 Ways to Make Your Smartphone Earn Its Keep in a Job Hunt

9 Ways to Make Your Smartphone Earn Its Keep in a Job Hunt 9 Ways to Make Your Smartphone Earn Its Keep in a Job Hunt If you’re like most people, you use more than one device to access the Internet. Studies show that three out of every four of American consumers use both a smartphone and a computer to get information online. But with only one out of five Fortune 500 companies supporting mobile job applications, finding and applying for jobs on a smartphone can be tricky. This month Google announced that it would no longer list web pages that are not optimized for mobile in its mobile search results. More companies will have to step up and make it easier for you to access their sites on mobile, but in the meantime you still need to find a new job. Here are some ways you can get the most of out your job search using your mobile device. Browse for Jobs Simply Hired and other job search websites offer job search apps. If you don’t have ours, download it today on Google Play or iTunes. To get the most out of your app, log in so you can upload your resume and sync your account across devices. Many listings on Simply Hired allow you to apply directly from the app with a stored resume. Others ask you to go to another website to apply. Apply to Jobs To apply to jobs from your device, it’s handy to keep your resume stored on your phone. Some employers allow you to upload your resume from a service like Dropbox or Google Drive, and others allow you to paste or type the information in a form. When saving your resume into Dropbox or Google Drive it’s a good idea to save a formatted and an unformatted version in case you need to paste the text into a form. For more on how to put your resume into plain text or ASCII format click here. Get Alerts Simply Hired offers daily job email alerts. Subscribing to email alerts and reading them when you have free time during the day, such as when commuting, waiting in line or on breaks, helps you stay focused on your job search and stay on the lookout for new opportunities. Save Jobs You may enjoy finding jobs on the go, but it’s likely you’ll want to apply when you have a little more time to research the company, compose a good cover letter and tweak your resume if necessary.  The mobile versions of Chrome and Safari offer multiple ways to bookmark or share job descriptions that you like. By clicking the button with an arrow from your mobile browser, you’ll be presented with a number of options: email, messaging, Twitter, Evernote, etc. We recommend email, or better yet, Evernote (more on that below), to keep track of interesting jobs. While some employer websites offer you the option of emailing the job to yourself so you can apply later, it’s better to have your own system for keeping track of jobs and companies so you can find information all in one place. Keep Track of Your Search If you’re unemployed or on a full-fledged search, you’ll want a system for keeping track of interesting companies, jobs and the action steps you’ve taken. I recommend Evernote for this purpose. Evernote syncs across smartphones, tablets and the web, and it also offers a powerful desktop application. You can create a Notebook for your search that can include jobs you like, companies you like and any research pertinent to your search. Once you’ve applied to a job you “clipped” using Evernote, you can change the subject line of the note by adding the word “applied,” or add a tag that indicates you applied. This will allow you to quickly scroll the list and see your success. When a recruiter calls you’ll be able to quickly look up the job description to jog your memory of the job requirements. You can take notes in the app that include key points about the job as well as follow-up actions. Manage Your Tasks Finding a job can be overwhelming, so it’s helpful to break down your search into tasks. Use your favorite task manager to make lists, such as “research Company X,” “apply to Company Y,” and “prepare for interview at Company Z.” The Apple Reminders app, Wunderlist, as well as Trello, are popular apps that sync across devices. Assign deadlines for tasks to make sure you actually do the things on your list. Instead using apps that live only on your phone, seek out apps that sync across devices so that you’ll have all the information you need as you switch from your smartphone to your computer. Manage Your Time Google Calendars, iCal and many other calendars also sync across devices. Use the calendar to schedule calls and interviews, and set aside time to research jobs or complete applications. Use the alerts feature to remind you of interviews. Map Commute Distance and Time There’s nothing worse than getting excited about a job opportunity only to find the commute would be an hour and a half. If you’re up for that, fine, but it’s a good idea to know what you’re getting into before you apply. Before even saving a job, look it up on the maps feature of your phone and calculate the commute time from your home during morning and evening drive times. Communicate with Employers If you already have a job, your phone will be the lifeline to communicating with employers during your current work hours. With most offices now in an open environment, you don’t want to risk someone walking by your computer while you are emailing a potential new employer. Discreetly use your smartphone to check email and make phone calls during breaks. Communicate with a greater degree of professionalism than you would with your friends by using salutations, writing in complete sentences and avoiding emoticons. As many employers increasingly make their application processes mobile-friendly, start making your smartphone your go-to-tool in your job search.

Paid Content, Free Content and Freemium Content

Paid Content, Free Content and Freemium Content Paid Content, Free Content and Freemium Content The differences between paid content, free content and freemium content can make your website a success or spell financial and branding doom. While new media platforms give traditional media outlets a boost, many companies are having to decide whether to charge visitors for online content. Several factors should be considered as you weigh the pros and cons of paid versus free content and the go-between called freemium.   Website Design Whether youre just starting your own news website or your site is already an established online brand, every media websites goal is to build traffic  and make money, adding paid content affects your site design and how youll sell readers on your content. FreeThe focus is on content and building stats. Convince people your media site is worth their time. What can they find from you that’s not somewhere else online?Paid  Money and time will be spent to build a paywall. Will you restrict all of your content or offer a freemium service, which includes some free content? Assure people your site is worth their money, especially if they used to get your content for free. Cross-Promotion to Other Media You started a website as an extension of your traditional media platform. But the usual cross-promotion can be more complicated when your content comes with a price tag. FreeEven if content is widely available on other sites, it can still be used to cross-promote to your other media, such as cross-promoting your TV stations coverage. A story on your local school systems performance can simply include the basics on one platform and a complete report on the other.PaidExclusive content is critical. Visitors will be unwilling to pay for the same news they can find elsewhere, like the school system report. You could lure readers with a sneak peek of the story thats only available to website subscribers before offering it on the free part of your site or in your traditional media outlet. Business Model Traditional media businesses have spent years coming up with web strategies to make sure theyre not spending $1,000 to make $100 on their site. The business model changes dramatically when you add paid web subscribers. FreeYour site is completely ad revenue-driven. Ad rates are based on your stats, just as a TV or radio station would sell commercial time using the rating book as a guide.PaidYou receive ad revenue, plus subscriber fees. While that sounds like more dollars, the number of visitors to your site will likely take a hit when you erect a paywall. So you may lose advertisers who want to reach the biggest audience possible, and your subscriber base will have to make up for that lost revenue. Site Positioning Against Your Competitors If you and your competitors are on the same playing field everyones content is free, or theyre all paid sites positioning your online brand is straightforward. That changes if youre the only one in town requiring a paid subscription. FreeIf your site is free, youre not at a competitive disadvantage as long as your content is updated and the site looks and performs well.PaidYou will fall if people leave your site to get free content from your competitors. Your rival could tout that theyre the biggest site in your market, leaving you without a comeback line. Reader Interaction Even your interaction with readers is affected with the switch to paid media. You have to be careful not to lose out on building your overall brand. FreeThere are unlimited opportunities to connect with your audience. You want people to interact with you through your site and social media platforms, and you can use social media to drive readers right back to your site.PaidYoure cut off from some of the media outlets. They may not want to have to pay to post their photos in your web gallery or to comment on the news. You may also lose your Facebook fans and Twitter followers as a result. Impact on Your Community Your readers are the reason youre in business. Their expectation is to get web content for free. Any change will affect you from a public relations standpoint.  They may not initially understand the differences between paid content, free content and freemium content or accept that some content may not be free. FreeA free site builds goodwill in the community and can drive people to your offline product. Its especially helpful to media platforms that have a heavy focus on local content as opposed to national content.PaidYour image could be hurt in your community, especially at first, with people blasting you for charging them. But your most dedicated readers need to be reminded why they trusted you as a source of information when your content was free.