What Countries Are Winning the Global War for Talent [INFOGRAPHIC]

What Countries Are Winning the Global War for Talent [INFOGRAPHIC] Our friends at INSEAD  today released the 2014 edition of its annual Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). The study, which focuses on the topic of ‘growing talent for today and tomorrow’, was produced in collaboration with the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore (HCLI) and Adecco Group. Measuring a nation’s competitiveness based on the quality of talent it can produce, attract and retain, the index placed Switzerland at number one, followed by Singapore and Luxembourg in second and third places, respectively. As in 2013, GTCI rankings are dominated by European countries, with only six non-European countries in the top 20: Singapore (2), the United States (4), Canada (5), Australia (9), New-Zealand (16) and Japan (20).  Many of the other economies in the ‘top 20’ have strong immigration traditions, including the United States (4), Canada (5), Sweden (6), the United Kingdom (7), and Australia(9).   These high performing countries also have long prioritised education, as is the case for the other Scandinavian countries, all in the top 15: Denmark (8), Norway (11), and Finland (13). The GTCI study reveals six key factors affecting talent competitiveness across countries of different GDP per capita and development levels: Key takeaways Openness is key to talent competitiveness: Switzerland, Singapore and Luxembourg all have a high degree of openness to trade, investment, immigration and new ideas, embracing globalisation while leveraging their human resources. Fiscally stable countries need talent competitiveness for sustainable development: mineral or oil rich countries, or those with context-specific competitive advantage, should foster talent competitiveness to ensure sustainable prosperity. Talent growth can be internal or external: some countries like the US and in Europe successfully focus on developing talent within their own borders, while others such as China attract foreign talent or send their elites abroad for further education. Countries must consider employability or risk high unemployment: ‘talent for growth’ means meeting the actual needs of a national economy. Switzerland, Singapore and the Nordic countries customise their education systems towards appropriate levels of ‘employable skills’. Education systems need to reconsider traditional learning: talent development in the 21st century must go beyond traditional formal education and develop vocational skills. Technology is changing the meaning of ‘employable skills’: technological changes will affect new segments of the labour market, impacting the 250 million ‘knowledge workers’ globally today. Related:  What Countries are Best at Attracting Talent? [STUDY]

Free Or Professional Resume Writing Service

Free Or Professional Resume Writing ServiceHow can you find a 24 hour resume writing service? That's the first question that should be asked when you need to submit a resume. So, what does this service do for you?There are plenty of places where you can get the right kind of resume. Maybe you have an uncle or aunt who can help you out with this. If you don't want to write a resume by yourself, you can go to several places and have them write one for you. The bottom line is, you will want something professional looking, especially when you are applying for jobs where you are going to be required to come in for an interview.Unfortunately, many times you will get many more rejections than you will accept, especially when you are self-employed individuals. This means that if you go online, you will see that there are websites out there that specialize in resume writing services. This service will usually have their own database of qualified candidates that they are able to help you find. These services also are available during normal business hours.You can often get more for a free resume writing service. They will get your resume out there faster and for a better price. They are not going to spend all day running it through a word processor for you. You can ask them to send your resume to employers immediately when you need to submit one.If you sign up for a service, you will get an instant reply on your request for help. Also, they will have access to a database that contains thousands of resumes from people who need your help. You can make use of this database whenever you want to for your resume.I've seen some free services that will take your resume and save it in their database. You won't get the same attention as when you are dealing with a professional service. But, a professionally written resume will almost always get you more interviews than anything else.When you use a free resume writing service, you may have to pay them. If this is the case, you shou ld understand that this is going to cost you money in some form or another. If you can afford to pay some kind of fee, make sure you tell them that this is what you will be paying.Finally, when you get someone to write your resume for you, make sure that you check in with them every few weeks to make sure that the job is still being done. Sometimes, they may change the formatting on your resume. If so, you need to be able to fix this if needed.

What Connections Help Build Community Around Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What Connections Help Build Community Around Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s no secret that in the workplace, communication plays a major role in the productivity of the workforce. Where people are able to communicate and share thoughts and ideas freely, the quality of results increases significantly. You need to foster that sort of communication with people outside the workplace. The magic lies in diversifying the networks of people you interact with so that you are able to garner new perspectives that help your brand. What connections mean to the brand So far, you have realized the need for making connections, identified and helped team members learn how to make connections, and embarked on the journey. Now, you need to understand why the whole process is important to your brand. Through personal interactions, a rapport is built based on common values and ideas shared between the two (or more) parties. Through this understanding, collaboration is much easier, which leads to innovation. As a brand, you want to keep growing and pushing your limits. By leveraging the knowledge others bring to the table, you are in a better position to make great strides in the work you do. Information flows easy where good relationships are present.  [tweet this] This is not only seen internally within the brand but also externally. Constantly keeping in touch with your connections allows you to stay updated on the latest happenings in the world around you. In this way, your brand is able to take advantage of the opportunities to become better. Connections, in a larger sense, don’t have to be between peers only. Valuable connections can be vendors and suppliers, customers, startup businesses and industry leaders. The designation of the connection does not matter. It’s really about fostering a good relationship between the parties involved. A good relationship with a vendor can mean faster delivery of supplies and better rates. It can also mean advanced knowledge and information about new businesses or opportunities. Great customer relationships means the customer is more likely to share the good word about your business with their close networks. Helping out a startup provides you an opportunity to mentor others, and your brand becomes a valuable resource. Industry leaders will help you navigate the connections as your brand grows, and possess invaluable knowledge. There is a lot to gain by fostering connections, and not just with peers. Connections that help build community around your brand As human beings, we all have a need to belong. That feeling one gets from being able to associate and collaborate with others is one that makes us unique. As a brand, you want to build a community around the values, ideas and products that you possess. Making the right connections helps you achieve that. Making connections that translate to a community that loves and appreciates your brand is more about shifting away from the hard sell (constant advertising) to making genuine connections. This has to be translated across all forms of communication you employ with the brand. The audience out there is looking for engagement, and opportunities to create meaningful relationships await. You just need to take the time to understand their needs and how you can contribute. Encourage interactions both within and outside the brand. Some of the best decisions and relationships come from the impromptu meetings people have in hallways and cafeterias. Where people have a chance to interact freely and share ideas, they are more likely to find common ground and build on the relationship. And that works greatly in your favor, as the networks your team members foster becomes part of the larger brand community. It’s also important for each of your team members to know the five things they need to stop doing to create great connections in 2015. Please share your thoughts below.

How to Field a Hiring Pros First Phone Call - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Field a Hiring Pros First Phone Call - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career IF YOU HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING A SYSTEMATIC, WELL-THOUGHT-OUT, WELL-EXECUTED NEW JOB SEARCH, and if you have clearly positioned yourself as being among TOP candidates, in today’s burgeoning job market, sooner rather than later, you should expect to receive an initial contact from a hiring professional, i.e., a hiring manager, headhunter or in-house corporate recruiter. Nearly always this initial contact will be a telephone call. You should of course consider this initial contact as a positive first step toward  possibly landing the position you seek. Something about your résumé, your cover letter, LinkedIn profile, etc., obviously tweaked the hiring professional’s interest and the telephone call is a clear indication that she wants to learn more about you as a possible candidate. Be cautioned, however, that you shouldn’t get TOO excited at this point because, like virtually every step in the hiring process, the initial telephone contact is designed to accomplish one principal goal: To exclude you from further consideration! Yes, you read that correctly. Do not fall into the trap that so many candidates fall into by assuming the call is intended to include you in the potential hiring pool. It’s not. HOW TO STAY IN THE GAMEâ€"OR NOT! The importance of intelligently and professionally fielding the initial call from a hiring professional simply cannot be overstated. How you field the call, more than any other factor at this point, usually spells the difference between “staying in the game” and being summarily eliminated from further consideration. Ill-prepared or unprepared candidates usually fall quickly and easily into the screening-out process that defines a hiring professional’s initial call. There are several reasons for that: They do not screen incoming calls, therefore they are not adequately prepared when a call from a hiring professional comes in. As a consequence, they may answer the phone like this: “Hell â€" o â€" o.” Then, when the hiring professional identifies himself/herself and mentions the position under consideration, these candidates normally come back with, “Now who is this again? What is the position again?” Great first impression! Very professional! Since these candidates are unprepared (obviously) to properly field questions that they should anticipate in this initial screening call, when asked a question such as, “Tell me a little bit about yourself and your qualifications,” they are more likely than not to come back with an answer such as this: “Well, you’ve seen my résumé (or LinkedIn profile), right? Everything you need to know about me and my qualifications is there.” (Don’t believe it? Our recruiting firm,  The HTW (“Hire to Win”) Group, encounters this type of response on a continual basis!) These candidates apparently are still laboring under the impression (FALSE!) that the hiring professional must sell the position and the career opportunity to them. Doesn’t work that way anymore and hasn’t for years. I could go on and on about the incredibly self-defeating (and incredible!) things job candidates oftentimes say during this all-important initial phone contact from a hiring professional, but I’m confident you get the point. Now, let’s take a look at the flip side of this same coin. Here is how polished, professionalâ€"and savvyâ€"job candidates handle the initial phone call from a hiring professional: They NEVER answer any unexpected calls from a hiring professional. Instead, they screen such calls before responding. That way, they can get organized and prepared before discussing a possible career opportunity. They set up a professional voice mail greeting on the phone(s) they have designated as their official job-hunting contact number(s). The greeting can be something as simple as this: “You’ve reached the voice mail of (your name). Please leave a message and a contact number and I will return your call promptly. Thank you.” When they return the hiring professional’s call, they are ready, willing and able to intelligently answer any questions, as well as to specifically discuss the career opportunity. If they are unable to reach the hiring professional when they return his/her call, they leave this type of voice mail message: “(Mr./Ms. Hiring Professional), this is (your name) returning your call regarding  (name of position) at (name of hiring company). I am excited about discussing this career opportunity with you soon. My number is 123-456-7890. Thank you! See the dramatic difference between the approaches taken by each of the two types of candidates? If you were the hiring professional, which type of candidate would  you be most likely to “keep in the game,” all other consideration factors being equal? ONE CHANCE ONLY TO MAKE GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION It’s certainly become a cliché to say that you get only ONE chance to make a good first impression, but like many clichés, there is a great deal of inherent truth in this one. If you don’t make a good first impression during the all-important first call from a hiring professional,  you definitely won’t get a second chance. You’ll be out of the running from that point on, regardless of how great you may look on paper, or even how well you might have interviewed in person. You may also have quite unnecessarily missed out on what could have turned out to be an exciting career opportunity, an opportunity that won’t be coming your way againâ€"ever! REMEMBER: INITIAL CALL ONLY FIRST STEP TOWARD WINNING JOB If you happen to be among the savvy job candidates who successfully make it through the initial phone screen by the hiring professional, you do indeed have cause for at least some celebration. Why? Because a significant percentage of candidates never make it past this initial stage, usually for reasons such as the ones I have addressed in this post. Keep in mind, though, that this is just the first of many steps involved in a successful job search. If you prepare for each subsequent step in the job search using the same intelligent, professional approach you used to stay in the game during the initial phone screen, you are far more likely than the average candidate to have genuine cause for celebrationâ€"when you land the job! ______________________________________ This post is based on career management information and advice featured in  Career Stalled? How to Get YOUR Career Back in HIGH Gear and Land the Job You Deserveâ€"Your DREAM Job!, Skip’s most recent book in the “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets Series of Career Development Management Publications. Would you like to receive a FREE  evaluation copy (PDF format featuring entire  book content) of  Career Stalled? via email?  Shoot an email to my editor and co-author, Michael Garee, at mlgaree@att.net. (Copy paste email address into your email client.) All we ask in return is that, once you have had an opportunity to review the book, you go on Amazon.com and write an honest review.

Filmmaker Resume

Filmmaker ResumeThe filmmaker resume is used to prepare for auditions and film shows. It is often called a director's resume because there are many different skills that make up a filmmaker resume.If you are looking for an entry-level job in the film industry, it is crucial that you start off by developing a strong resume. This document serves as your financial resume, your film school resume, and even your application for any jobs you may be applying for. Having a well-written and professionally produced filmmaker resume is absolutely essential for a filmmaker to stand out from the rest of the pack.The director or filmmaker resume must include information about who you are, your professional experiences, and the types of films you have made. The filmmaker resume must also contain information about your educational background, including degrees, affiliations, and awards. Because your director resume is a serious document that not only lists all of your work experience, but also your filmography, you need to find the right format to use.The first format that you should consider using for your filmmaker resume is a pamphlet. These pamphlets are easy to design and print, and allow you to easily upload your contact information and other documents that you want to include on your director resume. Pamphlets are also ideal for listing and organizing your professional experiences. They will not only save you the time and effort of pulling out your hand-written script and having to create your director resume from scratch, but they are also affordable and available in a wide variety of sizes.You can choose between using a software program to create your resume, or creating a PDF document that you can scan and print out at home. If you are creating your resume with a software program, it is important that you research all of the different programs available, because many of them will have different features and templates. When choosing between these two different formats , it is important that you select one that you feel comfortable with and understands your needs.Another option is to use a film school document, which allow you to submit your director resume, film school credentials, and film experience to film schools. Many of these programs also allow you to upload your reel and set up your resume and credits on a custom setting. It is very important that you read the entire document before submitting it to a film school, so that you do not accidentally provide incorrect information.Creating a filmmaker resume is a process that takes time and requires a lot of research, but if you use the tools available to you, the process can be quick and easy. The most important step is to organize your information, and figure out what types of information should be included. By organizing your information and putting it in a format that you will be comfortable with, you will be able to edit and re-edit your resume as necessary, so that you can complete the pr ocess smoothly.These are some of the best options available to help you create your filmmaker resume. However, the best tool you can use is your research, because when it comes to creating a director resume, the most important tool is the one that helps you gather information and organize it.

8 honest-to-God careers lessons we learnt from Kanye West - Debut

8 honest-to-God careers lessons we learnt from Kanye West - Debut Previously on Debut, you learnt some hard truths about how the successes of the Kardashians made for some crucial careers lessons. But what about the other side of that empire? I’m talking, of course, about one-in-a-lifetime artist and revolutionary culture creator Kanye West Kanye’s ego seems to expand consistently and impossibly with every passing second. Let’s be honest though, when you’ve been as critically acclaimed as many times as he has, you’ve earned that right. And out of that success comes lessons. Here are just a few: If you’re good at something, tell everyone Yeezy’s stellar production work on Jay Z’s The Blueprint made it hard for every producer that wasn’t him to get work back in the day. That’s because when an artist would ask for ‘something that sounds like Kanye West’, only Kanye West could make it. Hence the reason the guy talks himself up so much. How you can apply this to your career: Make sure everybody knows what your talents are in your office. If youre good at something, volunteer to do it every time it needs doing. Keep smashing your responsibilities and eventually you’ll become the go-to person in your company for whatever you do. You won’t always have the answers It’s okay to be unsure when there’s not a clear route to a goal you want to achieve. When Ol’ Kanye wanted to produce his own fashion line and footwear brand, he went to every CEO and designer he could, humbled himself and honed his craft, even interning for Italian luxury brand Fendi. These days, he’s got an Adidas deal and clothing range co-signed by the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Anna Wintour. How you can apply this to your career: Don’t panic when you don’t have the and be honest about your struggles. Whoever the Anna Wintour in your life is, they’ll be happy to help you out with whatever you need. Also, dont be afraid to be humble and do some extra learning if itll help you advance. There’s no such thing as ‘too big’ When Kanye was a wee tyke, his mother Donda told him that he could do it all. That ambition has seen him fly through life at a rate of knots and take on some pretty huge projects like movies, fashion and live shows with ballet dancers, mountains, Jesus Christ and a goddamn stage that floats in mid-air. How you can apply this to your career: The key to career advancement is being proactive and taking on responsibilities that are outside your comfort zone. Make yourself available and try new things. Just like Tiny Kanye, you need to believe that you can do everything and really know your worth. It pays to be creative The former Louis Vuitton Don has been pretty clear in the past about his ambition to make his creative company DONDA the world’s first trillion dollar company. Yeah, he’s not quite there yet. But despite his claim that he’s $53 million dollars in personal debt, Kanye’s net worth stands at a cool $142 million dollars. How you can apply this to your career: Embrace your creative slay. And don’t let ‘em tell you that being creative doesn’t pay. Too many talented would-be designers, writers, artists etc. talk themselves into getting ‘real jobs’ before they’ve given their true passion a shot. You may not get that Kanye money, but believe you can make a nice living. It’s okay to stand up for yourself To say Kanye has courted controversy would be a bit of an understatement it’s more like an obsessive sidechick that goes everywhere he goes. But since that infamous ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people’ moment, he’s been seen ‘speaking his mind’ on more than a few award stages when he shouldn’t be.That’s not to say we can’t learn from his outspoken nature though. How you can apply this to your career: It’s important to be assertive in the workplace if you disagree with or feel uncomfortable with something, let your managers or HR contact know before you take it on. I’m not saying interrupt your boss mid-sentence and inform him that Beyoncé had the best statistics report of all time, but something like that. Don’t take no for an answer A lot of people don’t understand why Kanye has to be the way he is, at times his fans least of all. But considering what he’s had to battle in his life, you have to cut him some slack. Raised in the violent South Side of Chicago on a modest budget, he was persistently told by peers and record executives that he couldn’t rap. It probably got quite awkward when The College Dropout won the Grammy for Best Rap Album. How you can apply this to your career: Similarly, if you’re pushing for something, whether it be a promotion, a project or maybe your dream job, never give up. Show up early, flaunt your talents, be the hardest worker in the room and it’ll be just a matter of time before people notice you. The right partner makes everything easier Over the years, ‘Ye has gotten by with a little help from his friends, whether that’s his GOOD Music buddies, Jay Z, even Kim K herself. He’s great on his own, but Yeezy plays well with others. Hes made some stunning projects in collaboration with other artists. How you can apply this to your career: Teamwork makes the dream work, and that’s a good attitude to have in the workplace where you all share common goals. Make friends in your office and take an interest in their lives and learn what they do. If you can help them, theyll definitely help you. Great things can come out of heartbreak We’ve been over why failure and heartbreak can be a good thing for you. Nobody knows that better than Kanye himself. He had a tough few years when his mother passed away, public opinion turned on him after the whole Taylor Swift thing and he split with Amber Rose. But out of that adversity came beauty. Amongst that, the Grammy award-winning My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was born. Which, by the way, is widely regarded as one of the best albums of the last decade. How you can apply this to your career: So don’t get down if you’re feeling frustrated or nothing’s going your way. Its natural to run into a little bit of burnout from time to time. Embrace those feelings and work through them. It could lead you to your best work. Download the Debut app  and get Talent-Spotted by amazing employers. Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter  today!

Sign On Bonuses on the Rise

Sign On Bonuses on the Rise Over on the Compensation Force Blog, theres a post about the recent increase in sign on bonuses for recent college grads.  I think that this information suggests a growing trend towards more flexibility in negotiating sign-on bonuses across the board as companies continue to try to source creative incentives to attract top talent and keep employees motivated.Sign on bonuses, once considered a perk for senior executives, have trickled down into lower levels of management and now seem to be a reasonable expectation even for recent college graduates.When negotiating salary, it is important to recognize that base salary is just one aspect of total compensation that completes your total rewards package. Research from Mercer Human Resources Consulting indicates that employers continue to seek ways to attract and retain employees through variable pay incentives including monetary rewards for completing project milestones, spot rewards for exemplary effort on a one-time initiative, and cash incentives for employee referrals that turn into new hires.So what does all this mean for job seekers? It means that you may have more options than you may realize when negotiating your compensation package. Think creatively about how to get to that magic number. If an employer cant offer you what you would like in base salary, think outside the box to come to a consensus about what they can give you that would make the offer more enticing. This could take the form of a sign-on bonus, an earlier performance review, a financial reward somewhere down the line for a project well done, a different job title, a more generous expense account, a blackberry and a computer, or something else that is valuable to you.Focus on building the relationship with the employer and getting them to love you. Once this is achieved, discuss your compensation needs in terms of what is fair and reasonable. Be flexible, acknowledge the employers needs and work together to find a solution and you will quickly achieve your goals.

9 Traits of an Exceptional Leader

9 Traits of an Exceptional Leader Truly great leaders are hard to come by, but it seems everyone thinks they’re one. A true leader, however, is easy to spot. On that same note, it’s also easy to spot someone who isn’t quite up to the level they pretend to be. Defining the difference between the two is also fairly easy, but what happens when you ask people what makes a great leader? Oftentimes, they aren’t really sure. The fact is, there are many ways to be a good leader, and each leader will have different attributes. That being said, the greatest leaders are considered the best because they exhibit the following elements of leadership: Passion Leaders who aren’t passionate aren’t very likely to be successful. Any salesperson will tell you it’s impossible to sell something you don’t believe in, and that includes ideas. Want to be a leader in photosynthetic research on cyanobacteria? You had better be absolutely enthralled with photosynthesis. Ironically, discovering their passion is something that many people struggle with, which is why we’re so drawn to those who have found theirs. Respect The idea here isn’t to have respect for authority. It’s to have respect for those people you have authority over. Bad things can happen when leaders stop respecting the people they lead, but we’re not here for a history lesson. One of the keys, though, is that once a leader stops respecting those under him, he doesn’t only lose respect for them. They also lose respect for him. How often are you willing to go the extra distance for someone you don’t respect? About zero percent of the time, right? Yeah, that’s kind of an issue. Authenticity Authenticity can’t be faked. If you’re a genuine person, your beliefs match up with how you live your life. You can fake it for a little bit, but people are hardwired to read each other. Steve Jobs, for example, was an authentic person. He knew what he wanted, and he stuck to his guns to get it. This had the effect of encouraging others to respect him, and to want to earn his respect. Self-Awareness If you’re authentic, it makes it very difficult not be honest with everyone â€" yourself included. However, self-awareness usually comes with a price, and that involves knowing what you’re good at, and what you’re not good at. Being self-aware will help you choose to work with people who complement you. Don’t aim to only hire people who are good at the same things you are. Hire people who can cover some bases you can’t. Communication Ok, communication isn’t necessarily only for leaders, but we’re assuming that leaders are probably talking to more people than the average Joe. One of my professors said once that the stupidest thing a person can ever do is assume that communication has been achieved. The idea is that if you say the same thing to five people, they will interpret it a minimum of five ways. Good communication is how leaders attract people to their cause. Humility We all know that middle-manager who loads up employees with huge amounts of work and overtime, then takes all the credit when bonuses and congratulations are handed out. It’s easy to let power get to your head, and people who are in power have to fight that. Staying humble enables you to stay connected to the business at the roots. Fairness Punishing people for the same things you do is not only unfair, it’s also pretty stupid. Any decent leader (or parent, for that matter) is very much aware of how playing favorites can backfire. This idea is, of course, more obvious when dealing with children, and it’s something that new teachers learn pretty quickly too. Along with avoiding favoritism, leaders should treat themselves fairly too. No one likes to admit mistakes, but when your boss admits to screwing something up, it makes everyone else feel like they can try something a little risky too. In order to keep innovation on the upswing, you need people willing to take risks, and no one will do that if they’ll be dealt with unfairly. Accountability Leaders hold themselves accountable and expect the same of their employees. If they drop the ball, they own up to it. On the same token, they expect others to do the same. They expect people to own up to blame, but they also expect credit to be given where it’s due. Lead by Example Good leaders don’t bark orders all the time. Instead, they’ll simply act the same way they expect others to act. If they want people to actually do what they say they’ll do, they also do it. If they want people to be innovative, leaders let people know about their failures. The best way to encourage change is from the top down, and they work that simple idea to their advantage. The Big Picture Bosses shouldn’t micromanage. Some do, of course, and we all kind of loathe them for it. The whole idea of having someone working under you is to take some of the load off â€" and that’s why you shouldn’t see leaders worrying about this week’s budget or an employee who came in late. Leaders are in charge of choosing the direction everyone is going, and the only way to do that is to look at the big picture, and allow everyone to do their jobs as best they can.