From Web Development to Marketing

From Web Development to Marketing Success Story > From: Job To: Job From Web Development to Marketing “I felt stuck, to be honest. That wasn't something I was comfortable with.” * From Web Development to Marketing While Swarnendu Dutta'swork was interesting, there was one fundamental aspect of it that didn't seem to fit his skills. So he quit without a backup plan. Here's how he asked for help, and how it led him to his new career. What work were you doing previously? I worked as a web developer ina web development agency. What are you doing now? I'm working in Marketing Operations Analytics at HackerEarth, which provides developer assessment software. The role is basically being a technical mind in a team of creatives. I work on people, process and technology to enable marketing to operate smoothly, efficiently and scale with consistency. How did you feel in your work before you decided to make the change? I enjoyed working in the agency and building cool new features on Drupal and Wordpress. However, they say there's a difference between a good coder and an average coder. I found I didn't fall into the category of a good coder. It was exciting to solve new challenges, but I didn't enjoy the coding part. Why did you change? I felt stuck, to be honest. That wasn't something I was comfortable with. I need to learn new things and challenge myself, and if I don't get the opportunities to do that, I get anxious. I decided it was time to move on. When was the moment you decided to make the change? It was in the summer months two years ago when I decided I would make the change. I'd worked for over four years as a web developer â€" I thought it was a good time to change and start something new. I wasn't confident, but I had to take the step to know. How did you choose your new career? I decided to make the transition into marketing after working with a client. I'd been working on an integration between their CRM and website. The project manager helped me understand the requirements and the business objectives of the changes in the website, which was really interesting to me. For the first time, I was involved in the psychology and operation of why something in the website was the way it was. Are you happy with the change? I am. I think I'm doing well from the feedback I get from the team. And there's so much to learn and experiment with. The opportunities seem endless which sometimes makes me restless, and I think that's a very good thing. What do you miss and what don't you miss? I miss my home and my family, as my previous role allowed me to work from home. Sometimes I was in my hometown and sometimes in a different city. And at the same time I don't miss working from home either. I like working from an office now, because my team is awesome. How did you go about making the shift? I quit without having a job lined up. Once I'd quit, I was confused about where to start on my shift. I wanted to go into digital marketing, but didn't know how to begin, or what I needed to learn. I started searching for contacts in my hometown who might help me in this change. I had a contact, Mukesh, who was running another web development agency â€" I asked for his guidance. He introduced me to Aji, the CEO of a digital marketing agency, and we got on a call. Aji offered me the role of Marketing Automation Expert. After two weeks, I started working at his agency and learned a lot on the job there from Zain, marketing manager of Techshu. That was how I started to get the hang of the subject, and I taught myself marketing automation and operations. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? As I found a new role just two weeks after quitting, I didn't have any problems with finances, by God's grace. What was the most difficult thing about changing? The most difficult thing was believing in myself and trusting the process. There were days when I felt miserable and lost. Everything looked grim and I didn't enjoy pushing myself to study or work. Even after a successful change, there are moments when I compare yourself with your peers and realise I still have a long way to go from here. What resources would you recommend to others? I don't have any particular resources in mind, but here are few things I'd recommend doing if you're thinking of making the change: Prepare for the change Dig out options by looking into what you are good at and what you love Start networking and leveraging your connections Read. Read. Read Go out for exercise Talk with and meet up with your family/friends What have you learnt in the process? It's not as scary to change your career as it seems. Take a chance and go all-in. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? If you know what you want to do, study and work hard for it. And don't neglect the next most important thing â€" networking. Build your connections. What lessons could you take from Swarnendu's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Objections Lead to Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Objections Lead to Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Upon hearing, ‘that’s not what we’re looking for’ most people stop in their tracks. They don’t know how to respond in meetings. Consequently, these folks leave the room as quickly as possible. All hope for a beneficial outcome disappears, but this could be turned around with the right conversational strategy. Objections are another type of negotiation Use questions to learn of the experience leading to the belief system and the halted conversation. Answers will identify where clarification is in order.  Verifying discussion points will move you in a better direction. In the sales arena, objections during meetings arise all the time. Usually, these are due to not fully understanding everything in discussion and erroneously jumping to conclusions, such as assuming the price point is too high. The best way to handle these types of stopping points to the conversation is to inquire about the other person’s previous experience or why they believe something to be true. Done in a friendly manner, and answering all immediate questions will almost always advance the conversation. The same applies to job interviews. When the hiring manager asserts ‘you don’t have enough experience, the best comeback is to ask for the type they are seeking to gain understanding. Hearing the answer, you are better positioned to reveal a short story of how you overcame a similar circumstance by quickly learning how to advance past the obstacle. And then you ask a question such as, ‘Does my experience sound like the type you are seeking?’ Most often the answer will be ‘yes. Listen Carefully Depending upon how objections arise, they can be very annoying. However, it frequently is the worst one thrown at you that holds the best insight. You may have much work ahead of you to straighten matters out, but in the end, it can be well worthwhile. Self-education along with classes help us to improve. Taking public speaking classes is one of the best strategies to learn how to build confidence. Leadership Qualities Hiring managers and clientele all want to see someone who has the courage to speak up, share their story where appropriate, and who appears to be a leader. Taking all of this into consideration will help to develop an admired personal brand. Does the following apply: You speak up when there is a need. You are comfortable sharing stories as they relate to the conversation. You can easily lead the conversation and ask tough questions. If none of the above is true, it may be time for you to consider next steps to improve your career. Initially, everything appears difficult, and we wonder if it’s worthwhile. The answer comes after you pour your heart and soul into the effort to experience the unexpected and incredible results. Following these suggestions will lead you to the Smooth Sale! Sales Tips Ask tough questions no one else is willing to do. Make inquiries when things do not appear to be right. Stop people from speaking when something sounds inconsistent to clarify. Interrupt people if you need clarification on what a term means. Provide your creative ideas. Give an example of how you overcame an obstacle and the results. I n meetings, ask a buy-in question after answering a tough question yourself. Learn to welcome objections because they show you the path ahead. Use the expressed concerns as an educational starting point. Celebrate Success!

How to Turn your Seasonal Retail Job into a Career

How to Turn your Seasonal Retail Job into a Career Retailers are gearing up for seasonal holiday hiring, and people are asking how to convert their temporary job into a long term opportunity.   If you’re considering retail as a career, (and many people are after long and brutal searches in other fields) here are the rules for success. Retail is a great place to make a living if you’re interested in the products or brand you work for.   So Rule Number One is: apply where you shop.   It makes sense for you to apply for jobs where you can become a strong brand advocate.   When you love the products, you can recommend them with warmth and confidence to customers.   If you don’t particularly understand or care about the products, you won’t be much of an asset when it comes to sales.    Rule Number Two: Be reliable.   Scheduling is a big headache for retail managers, who must open the store on time, make sure someone is there at closing, and accommodate unpredictable crowds (in addition to the predictable “rushes.”)   The retail workforce is often filled with part-timers who are young and not very dedicated to their jobs.   That creates scheduling challenges; last minute  call-ins mean opportunities for you to earn shifts and show that you’re serious about your job. Your ability to come in on short notice or stay after your shift will eventually earn you more   and better   hours.  Rule Number Three:  Be nice.   Be nice to your teammates and especially nice to the customers, no matter how you’re feeling when you show up for your shift.   Without customers, you have no job.   The formula for retail employment (no matter what the product) is based on sales per square foot of store.   So your job is to get customers to like you, interact with you, and most importantly, buy from you. Most retail operations have a well-tested formula that works for sales.   Take that training to heart.   When you’ve mastered your training, watch the associates that do a great job of customer service and imitate what they do.       The difference between lackluster customer service and great customer service is usually about watching body language.   You can learn to tell when a customer is confused about a product or looking for something specific.   If you watch closely, you can spot the customer who’s torn between two styles or not sure about the fit.   Your job is to engage these customers and help them decide what to buy.     If you can master the art of upselling (“if you love that jacket, you should see how it looks with this scarf”) you will become a real asset to your department or store.    When it comes time to decide who stays and who goes after the holiday shopping season, managers will make the choice based on several factors: Sales aptitude (if you’re on the floor) Reliability and attitude during your shifts Accuracy and attention to detail (if you’re a cashier) Interest and passion for the brand or products I checked several national retailers (Macy’s, Pottery Barn and Target, among others) and here are some of the terms mentioned frequently in their online recruiting sites: Teamwork Passion Imagination (Fast) pace (Product) knowledge Customer-focused  Most retailers tell you exactly what it will take to succeed in their workforce right up front.   If you can follow their formula, you can start a successful career.

Salient Power - Subtle Modern Resume Template Freebie

Salient Power - Subtle Modern Resume Template Freebie Salient Power Subtle Modern Resume Template Freebie During an interview, youll want to appear as a relaxed, confident and self-collected candidate. But what about your resume, are you positioning yourself in the same manner there?If you do want to ooze that wave of credibility, consider using this free resume template. The Salient Power comes in subtle, stylish colors. But dont be tricked by its neutral palette. It merely acts as a strategic canvas for your application. You have a prominent skills area that you can use to wow the decision-makers with your credentials. Also, use the sidebar to add a short personal bio or a more formal resume objective statement. Finally, pair this resume with a great cover letter, written in a matching confident tone and you are almost set for having a great interview, and perhaps even a job offer. So go on, grab this modern resume template. Its absolutely free to use and can be easily customized in MS Word. File size: 71 KB Format: .docx Downloaded 6,899 times License: Free, personal use only. Plea se read the license terms for resources. Download previous article How To Write a Letter Of Interest for a Job next article Why Should We Hire You? How to Answer This Tricky Interview Question you might also likeCadmium Yellow: Simple, Yet Elegant Resume Template

How To Stop Wasting Time At Work - CareerMetis.com

How To Stop Wasting Time At Work Procrastination, defined as “the action of delaying or postponing something.” It is the N ° 1 enemy of a productive person. It is so much easier to leave a task for tomorrow than doing it. But at the end of the day, week or month you realize that you have done nothing and tried to complete everything in just one hour. This is the way to frustration and failure.It is hard to avoid procrastination, but it is indispensable if you want to be more productive. Here are some tips to improve your work performance and even your life.ORGANIZE1. Make a List of Things to DoevalevalRecords are the most straightforward and most potent productivity tool if you know how to use them. How to get the most out of the lists?Always organize your day the night before, take 10 or 15 minutes to do this. Sometimes lack of sleep is due to thinking about the next day. So, if you do this, you will be ready in the morning to do exactly what you need to do.Record specific tasks, it must be clear what needs acc omplishing.Each task has a goal. If it is clear to you why what you are doing is essential, you will feel more motivated to tackle the project.Divide large tasks into smaller tasks. The bigger or complex your goal is, the more quickly it will overwhelm you and will end up procrastinating. Divide the work into small stepsUpdate your list once a day to track your progress and organize the next day.Set deadlines for your tasks. Once, a friend told me “Nothing motivates more than a deadline.” He is right.2. Classify and Assign PropertiesWhen you are making your list, classify and prioritize them. There are always more critical tasks than others. If you finish a job that you have been putting off, it will take a massive weight off your metaphorical shoulders.Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People show us how an easy way to classify our tasks: 1) Important / Urgent, 2) Important / Not Urgent, 3) Not Important / Urgent and 4) Not Important / Not Urgent.3. Pla n the DayIf planning your day is mentioned twice, it is only because it is imperative. Be realistic when setting your tasks and do not over-plan. If you do this, you will force yourself to set objectives and fulfill them.If it’s possible, do your jobs before anything else, it is incredible how extra-productive you will feel if you finish them early and have time left to spare. And again, always review your list at the end of the day to decide your tasks for the next morning.4. Reward YourselfMotivation is the key to success, do not give up until you have finished your tasks.You can give yourself small rewards after completing each task like chocolate or 15 minutes away from your computer/office, or you can take a whole day free after completing your “To Do” list, you have earned it. Remember, do not over-plan but do not underestimate yourself either.eval5. Learn and Improve DailyevalSome days we can feel like we are not accomplishing anything or the time is not enough to do ev erything we have planned. It is entirely reasonable, we all have bad days, try that this does not demotivate you and analyze what happened.If you find the reason why you weren’t highly productive that day, you will avoid it for future opportunities.FOCUS1. Eliminate Distractions while You WorkToday, with all the technology, we are increasingly surrounded by distractions that make it more difficult to focus. The endless emails, notifications of the mobile phone, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram deviates us from our tasks. If we let ourselves go, it is incredible the amount of time we waste.How can you focus?Use applications like Forest or Pomodoro to avoid using your phone while working, disconnect phone notifications, keep it away if needed or if you are strong enough, turn it off.Establish a few minutes to check your e-mail, don’t check it every five minutes.Control the time you spend on social networks or other leisure sites. You can install an extension for your browser like StayFocus that limits your time on these websites and prevents you from visiting them during certain times of the day.Leave these type of activities as rest and reward of good progress in an important task.Do not disturb! If you work at an office, hang on the door a “do not disturb” sign, this way people will know that you are doing an important task and you are not available.2. Do One Thing at a TimeevalMultitasking isn’t productive AT ALL!.Each time you alternate from one task to another, you lose time and concentration, and you end up leaving them all half-hearted.Choose a task from your list, focus on it and don’t give up until you finish it. This way you will get through the day being productive.3. Keep Your Home and Your Work Area Clean and OrganizedBelieve it or not, a messy area is a potential source of distractions, even if you don’t like to clean. Besides, try to keep your work environment minimalist.The only things you need are your computer, a notebook, a penci l, and water. Whit these things on hand, you avoid distractions.4. Analyze Your Most Productive HoursWe all have productive peaks, find at what time is yours. Some work better in the morning and others in the afternoon so set your most important tasks at those hours.Avoid working late at night, this is not good for your performance at work, and it will bring terrible consequences for your health.TAKE CARE OF YOURSELFIt may sound obvious, but sometimes we focus so much on the work that we forget about our health. If you don’t feel right, your performance won’t be good.1. Sleep EnoughTry to sleep at least 8 hours; this is the minimum that an adult person needs for a full recovery and complete the nocturnal regenerative functions. You will rejuvenate by the next day after a good rest.2. Do Not Work Late at NightevalSome people prefer working at night because of the belief that there are fewer distractions late at night.This is true, and it may work for a few days, but it is impossi ble to keep this pace. If you don’t sleep enough, you will feel tired ALWAYS.3. Get Up Early and Take Advantage of the DayIn my personal opinion, this is the hardest thing to do, but when you make it a habit, it changes your life. What you do during the first hour of the day can determine your attitude the rest of the day. Here a few steps to start your day with the right foot:Get up earlyHave a good breakfastDo some exerciseGet organized calmlyIf you have time, you can even do some task on your list before starting the day itself.4. Get Some ExerciseFind a routine that works for you and work on that routine every morning.evalThe benefits of starting your day with activity are numerous, your brain release endorphins while exercising so you will feel happy and full of energy. Besides, it is an excellent way to get rid of the stress.5. Eat Healthy Foods We are what we eat. You have no idea how important is a balanced diet for your performance at work and your health. Process food or high-sugar content food make you sleepy and have a negative impact on your health. To maintain the concentration and energy throughout the day eat fresh food and lots of fruits.Another advice is to start your day with a green smoothie; it is good for your body and your mind. You can try this one: eight ounces of water, two handfuls of spinach, an apple, two stalks of celery and lemon juice. It will detox your body and provide the nutrients you need to boost your energy levels.6. Take Small BreaksIf you don’t take regular breaks you will end up getting the opposite effect of what you want; you will do less. Take 15 or 20 minutes to stretch, breathe, relax or eat something after 2 hours of work. It will clear your mind.Just Keep It Simple!Productivity does not mean doing a lot of things; it means doing right all the stuff you need to do.Remember that each task will get you closer to your goal.Finally, to become a productive person, you must first decide to do it. Making the decisio n is only half of the way.Organize your day, focus on your activities, reward your effort and become a better and more productive version of yourself.

How To Learn From A Bad Job Interview - CareerEnlightenment.com

How To Learn From A Bad Job Interview Following the completion of a job interview, a best practice is to perform a thorough post-mortem. While the most important perspective will be the assessment your interviewers and hiring managers make, it is highly instructive to objectively and candidly evaluate how you did during each meeting. It is possible that your interviewers may provide you with feedback on what you did and did not do well, but that is not the norm. The best feedback you may get from them is their body language during the meeting, and the messaging it sent.Mastering the interview process is a series of progressive realizations and learnings coupled with continuous improvement, and the meeting post-mortem process is the most organized way to drive this.Break Down the ProcessAs part of your pre-interview planning, consider the factors and actions that will make your meeting successful.   Since planning is the thinking that precedes the work, what specific steps or actions do you want to take to optimize your interview or presentation meeting?For job interviews consider factors as the quality of your preparation and research; a timely arrival; being appropriately attired; a strong introduction that builds rapport and trust; your use of active listening skills; modeling effective body language; clear and concise answers; an effective use of proof documents; a good summary; and a confirmation of next steps after the job interview.Additional factors could include how effectively you utilized examples to support your answers; how well you handled the deeper, probing questions; your tone and demeanor during the least enjoyable parts of the interview, and your use of pre-interview research that demonstrated a deep level of understanding of both the employer and your interviewers. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spa m too. Unsubscribe any time. Ask Yourself the Right QuestionsWrite down all of the appropriate factors you’d like to assess in your post-mortem, in order of where they fit in the meeting flow.   A good list will assess twelve to fifteen areas.   Then answer these three questions about EACH area as candidly as possible:In this area, what things went as well or better than I wanted? These are the things you’ll want to replicate in future meetings.In this area, what didn’t go as well as I would have liked…and why not? This will expose the greatest opportunities for you to improve next time.What specific changes do I need to make for next time? This is the heart of your post-mortem, and where you’ll need to be very specific.   Don’t just say that you need to improve your body language…WHAT SPECIFICALLY needs to change to improve?Here’s a little secret.   Not many people will be diligent to spend the time and effort required to perform a detailed post-mortem.  A quick tw o-minute reflection won’t move the needle much on making the changes necessary to vault you to the top of the candidate group.   Your investment of time may seem high now, but in two or three cycles you will see dramatic improvements in what you accomplish.Bottom line:Your diligence in performing detailed and thoughtful post-mortems will accelerate your mastery of the process and set you above the vast majority of people with whom you will compete for a terrific job or promotion.

Help Writing a Resume Free - The Best Option Available?

Help Writing a Resume Free - The Best Option Available?Help writing a resume free is a program by some of the most talented photographers on the web that takes the help of many talented and experienced photographers in a variety of genres, and tries to utilize their photographic skills for the purpose of helping you in the process of helping yourself when it comes to a resume. A resume is your resume of all the things you have accomplished and all the things you want to accomplish in life. So if your resume is as slim as a shred of paper, a job with this type of help writing a resume free photography software would certainly be beneficial.This software is called simply the 'photography resume builder' and it enables you to easily find out about what to put on your resume in a short period of time. It has the features that assist you in preparing a resume within a very short period of time. There are actually a few of these resume builder software available that will help you develop your own resume and even publish it online for the whole world to see.The way it works is that once you have logged in to this website, you are taken through a short-form questionnaire that asks you for all your information. A short list of the tasks that you should perform on your resume is provided and as you fill in these you are given a grade in accordance to the amount of information you have supplied. This type of program allows you to customize the level of help you want. You can even let the program automatically generate your resume by finding appropriate information you supply.The resume builder will then take your information and give you a section for 'Photo Portraits', 'Under Resume'Company Connections' and this gives you a great opportunity to highlight all the things you have accomplished and list down your accomplishments in the most meaningful and memorable manner possible. All of the information you have listed here on your resume is considered in writing the part you are required to fill in when applying for a job with the company.One of the best parts about this program is that it also includes a section where the company provides the background information for you as well. You can also access this section from the navigation bar on the left side of the screen.As you browse through the site you will find the Jobs section where you can search for positions in any part of the world. You can even apply for a job online and have it published online at your own website.You may also find the personals section where you can search for any profile and have it listed in your resume. In the sections of help writing a resume free you will also find such options as adding text to your resume, adding a cover letter, and even the option to use flash in your resume.These are all the tools that you will need to help you when writing a resume. The help with which you can access the site is absolutely free and has many more features and options to offer. The refore, if you want to save time and have a stress-free job search, then use these products to help you with your resume writing needs.