Conference Cancelation

We regret to inform everyone that we are forced to cancel the 2015 Women in Business Conference.  The registration numbers are too low with too little time until the conference starts.  Thank you for your support and we hope to do this again another time.  Please feel free to contact us with your feedback at byuwib2015@gmail.com.

5 Fresh Job-Search Tips You Haven’t Yet Tried

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So you’ve finally made the important decision to change careers. You have a killer resume and an impressive set of skills to boot. But if you want to land your next dream job, you are going to have to find it first.

Chances are most of the competition you’re going up against have access to the same search engines and LinkedIn tools you have, so to connect with recruiters, you’ll need to use some lesser known job search tactics.

To help stand out in your search, here are five ways to find your next dream job you may not have thought to try before: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Turn a rejection into an offer

Sounds like a head scratcher, doesn’t it? If a company went through the trouble of interviewing you through multiple rounds just to reject you, how could you turn this setback into a success?

The answer is by implementing a tactic of career guerilla warfare known as “Recruit the Recruiter.”

If a company has invested time, money and energy digging into your background and interviewing you multiple times, then you must have impressed them. Just because they found a “better fit” candidate, don’t let rejection cause you to think you were not an equally qualified candidate.

Instead, thank the recruiter for their time and ask what other positions are open at the company. This is especially effective when a company uses a contracted recruiter as they typically manage numerous clients at once and will know about other positions that haven’t been announced yet. You can use that as a chance to build a relationship with someone that can push your professional brand to companies on your behalf.

2. Check out career paths of previous employees

Sometimes it’s hard finding your dream job if you haven’t yet had the dream. If you are short on ideas of companies that are hiring for your skillset, leverage LinkedIn. Rather than simply searching through its database for “marketing jobs” or “accounting,” look up specific people who landed roles at your ideal employer.

For example, if you are looking for work as a government consultant, use LinkedIn’s “People who used to work at” feature to find people who used to work in your target role at top consultant firms like Booz-Allen Hamilton or EY, and then see what roles they moved to throughout their career. This not only gives you new leads on employers, but it also provides insight as to what types of candidate profiles impress your ideal employers.

For an added edge, try reaching out to those past employees for insight into the company culture, advice on landing an interview or even a warm introduction to their previous employer.

3. Attend industry events

Career Fairs can be rough! Candidates line up in front of booths to pitch themselves, recruiters herd around them like cattle… and there you are, hoping to at least making a memorable impression.

While career fairs are critical to attend for candidates open to a wide range of companies, employers love candidates who are passionate about their jobs. Show your ideal company you are serious about working for them by attending other industry events other than the standard recruitment events.

Is your desired company holding a public event to launch a new product? Are they sponsoring a local organizational event? Attending industry events beyond your typical career fair will not only cut down your competition, but you’ll also glean more insight into your desired company’s values, brand and culture… things you will need to nail in an in-person interview to make sure they see you as a “good fit.”

4. Join an association

Associations are a great way to leverage a team of outside resources for your job search. Associations typically have great tools like job boards, tradeshows, business articles, advanced training and other good resources to provide access to potential careers that you have never come across otherwise.

The best part is there is an association for virtually every industry you can imagine. Find the one for you and you will be able to stay abreast of the trending news, best practices, cutting edge tech and other developments going on in your industry. If you’re an industry expert, sign up to speak at a panel or seminars. This can be an impressive resume booster to a recruiter.

Perhaps the greatest advantage that associations offer, though, is a new network of professionals in your target industry. You will meet and grow relationships with leagues of talented individuals and help support each other with your career goals. (Of course, as with any great relationship, the more you give, the more you get back. Be sure to be a value in return!)

Remember, it’s not only who you know, but who knows you… and these types of connections are more likely than anyone else to send you an email one day announcing: “Hey, I came across the perfect position for you.”

5. Do what you love

If you find you’ve exhausted your job search routes and can’t think of other companies or open roles, consider products and services that you use and love. You know your favorite app on your phone or that commercial that has you cracking up each time? They both have amazing people that work to build them.

Companies love hiring people passionate about their brand and products, so having an authentic and intimate love for what these companies create can shine through in an interview. Think about some of the brands and products that you use religiously, and you may find that you chose them because you fit in with their company culture — and theirs with yours.

Employ these alternative strategies to your career search and you will almost certainly open up a plethora of new opportunities to lead to your dream job.

Brandon McCollough is the Founder of Generation-Next , a Leadership and Career Development organization dedicated to financial empowerment for millennials. He leads their Career Pro Team in providing clients with job placement and career development services.

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Frustrated With Your Company’s Outdated Ways? How to Suggest Fresh Ideas

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Did you hear about how the White House is still using floppy disks?

No, it’s not a joke (sadly enough). As reported in Business Insider earlier this month, the White House’s newest Chief Technology Officer, Megan Smith, faces several unique challenges when it comes to bringing the federal government’s technology in sync with 2015. Perhaps the most surprising task on her list is one we’re shocked to hear about: transitioning away from the use of floppy disks.

Floppy disks, for those of you who only recognize technology that came out in the past 24 hours, are plastic, square-shaped data storage devices with a hole in the center. They are easily corruptible and have limited storage space. If you went to college in the early 2000s, you may have had the unfortunate experience of losing an entire 20-page thesis to a floppy disk that suddenly became unreadable for no explicable reason.

While floppy disks have been obsolete for more than a decade, our federal government is still relying on them for storage.

Your company may not be quite as behind as the White House technology department, but chances are it has some outdated practices you’ve been itching to bring into the 21st century. And even if you’re only a mid-level employee, there are plenty of ways you can help modernize your company — and earn yourself a few brownie points to boot.

Here’s how to go about it without making your boss want to give you the boot. (Click here to tweet this list.)

Start small

Employers value intrapreneurs – workers who care enough about the company to put in extra work, come up with innovative new ideas and help their organization evolve rather than simply punching a clock and keeping a desk chair warm. But many companies, as much as they herald innovation, still have trouble fully embracing change, especially when the idea is initiated from anyone below the top of the corporate totem pole.

The way to get your ideas heard is to first demonstrate yourself as the sort of person who has good ideas. And the best way to do this is to start by suggesting small changes that will be easier for people to accept and building off those successes.

Before you embark on a quest to eliminate all unnecessary meetings, for instance, you might want to suggest minor tweaks to make existing meetings more efficient, such as circulating an agenda with action items beforehand and making sure everyone who’s been invited is crucial to the meeting’s success.

Not only will people begin to respect your input, but it’s a good way to test out just how open your organization is to new ideas.

Choose the right time

Throwing in a brand-new idea at the end of a long, tedious team meeting won’t do anything but make people groan and check their watches. Ambushing your boss in the middle of a hectic deadline to say, “This could be so much easier if we did X” won’t work well, either.

Identify a time when your audience will be the most agreeable, receptive and free from distractions before pitching your proposal. Maybe that’s right after lunch when your manager is feeling a little groggy and would rather chat about ideas than deal with all the paperwork awaiting him. Maybe it’s 4 p.m. on a Friday when you know the boss’s head is filled with pleasant thoughts about golfing and sailing over the weekend. Or maybe it’s when you take key coworkers out for lunch and toss around your idea in a more relaxed setting.

Know your colleagues’ routines and rhythms so you can approach them when they’re at their most likely to say “yes.”

Come prepared to prove your case

Higher-ups and decision-makers like cold, hard data. It makes it easier for them to see the ROI in an idea and to understand why new is better rather than just different.

If you’re proposing a switch to a new type of software, process or system, come armed with plenty of facts and figures that demonstrate why it’s more efficient, more effective or helps generate more revenue. Saying, “We should have a Twitter account because everyone else does” won’t convince anyone. Instead, try “Studies show an engaging Twitter account leads to 40 percent more customer conversions.”

Don’t be afraid to throw in a little peer pressure, too. If you can demonstrate that other companies in your industry are doing things the way you propose (especially direct competitors), it could help push the vote in your favor.

Be cool about it

You don’t want to be seen as an upstart, a know-it-all or one of those “entitled” Millennials corporate America is all up in arms about. Even if you know for a fact that “the way things have always been done” is outdated and ineffective, no one will listen to you if it feels like you’re being uppity about it.

Whatever your true thoughts about an antiquated system or process, restrain your desire to vent or make fun, and instead focus on presenting your new idea as something that will make the company better. Spend less time tearing down the old ways and more time building up why your solution will make life better for everyone.

Recruit backup

It’s easier to get change adopted — especially when you yourself aren’t yet in a position of power — if you can get an influencer or two on your side to help champion your cause. That could be a higher-up like a manager, a respected colleague whose star in on the rise, or a secretly powerful small player like the CEO’s personal assistant, who sees all and knows just how to push the CEO’s buttons.

In addition to getting backers on your side, work on winning over those colleagues who will be directly impacted by your idea. Explain how it will make their day-to-day job easier. Ask for their feedback to help strengthen your proposal. Show them why they should care.

If you’re sick of everyone mixing up the multiple versions of documents that are traded back and forth over the course of the day, show some of your team members how easy and efficient it is to use a real-time collaborative program like Google Docs. Once they’ve seen the difference for themselves, they’ll be happy to help you campaign for a better system.

Have you tried to introduce change into your company? What strategies did you use?

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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Recruiters: Is Your New Hire a No-Show? Here’s What to Do

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New hires renege on job offers more frequently than anyone wants to admit.

When does the recruitment process end? When the new hire signs the job offer, their first day or first week of work? There’s no general consensus.

A candidate could accept a job offer, only to use it to get a raise from his current employer. Or he might change his mind and take a position elsewhere. Some people quit after a few weeks of starting because the job wasn’t what they hoped it would be.

How can you save your commission? What can you do to fill the gap in the workforce ASAP? First, recognize one truth: Applicants care about themselves, not the position you need to fill.

They have no emotional ties with you or the company. If a better opportunity comes along, they’ll take it. Realizing this will change your perspective for the better and prevent headaches later on.

How to deal with reneged job offers without losing your cool

Nostrils flaring, nerves popping, you call the applicant and berate them for not showing up.

A miscommunication might cause a new hire to think his start date isn’t until next week. Just call and ask what happened, then sort it out from there.

If they don’t respond to any of your attempts to communicate, it’s safe to say the candidate’s a no-show.

Manage the client’s (employer) expectations

This is everyone’s worst nightmare: They’re expecting someone to show up, then an hour passes and nada.

Whether you’re part of the company’s HR or a third-party recruiter, you need to keep the candidate’s would-be boss in the loop.

Be honest and tell them exactly what happened. Negotiate to restart the hiring process, contact existing candidates or hire internally. If you must, offer to help the company hire a temp while you work on finding a replacement.

Consider the legal complexities of signing bonuses and non-competes

Many states, such as Florida, for example, are employment-at-will states—meaning your employer can terminate your employment with or without cause at any time. An employment agreement, however, may change those terms. — Lindsey Wagner of Cathleen Scott & Associates.

It sounds harsh, but some recruiters exercise this option for tricky jobs to fill. Sometimes the candidate ends up doing poorly or hating the job, other times the candidate loves it and everybody’s happy.

If all else fails, restart the hiring process

Don’t burn bridges, even with a candidate who wasted your time. (Click here to tweet this advice.) Applicants know other candidates with similar skills and work experience so tapping their network will save you time from sourcing new candidates.

While you’re doing that, reach out to the other candidates in the pipeline for said position.

Prevention is better than cure, right? Here’s how to prevent this from happening in the first place.

1. Don’t rush it

Say you impose a three-day deadline to accept the offer. What do you think the candidate will do?

They’ll accept the offer then back out later if they find a better option, says Glen Loveland, HR Manager at China Central Television.

2. Run the numbers

Review the initial offer with them over the phone. You don’t have to review the whole contract point by point, just give an overview of the compensation package.

Giving an overview of the initial job offer via phone also helps you gauge the candidate’s enthusiasm — something you can’t do through email. If the candidate doesn’t sound excited, ask if he’s having second thoughts or if there’s anything he wants to negotiate further.

3. Determine how bad it is

Many candidates don’t take their resignations seriously until they start working at their new job. To test their resolve, ask what they’ll do if their employer offers them a 15 percent raise to stay.

Hesitating means the candidate’s allegiance could be bought. Whatever reasons they have for resigning — a bad boss, lack of advancement opportunities, no work/life balance — may not be enough.

Ask this question at every stage of the hiring process. You never know, something might change their mind in between interviews.

4. Ask about the candidate’s “suitors”

Ask candidates how many companies they’ve applied to, and if they’re reviewing other job offers. This will help you assess where you are in the candidate’s point of view, whether you’re the first choice or just a back-up.

Knowledge of the other company’s usual compensation package, advancement opportunities and work environment can help you outline the pros and cons of what you offer versus the competition.

Share your recruiting nightmares. Have you ever had a candidate back-out at the last minute? Did you ever get a feeling it would happen?

Charley Mendoza is a freelance blogger and copywriter. She helps businesses and HR professionals write research-backed and actionable content for their audience.

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2015 WIBC Sneak Peek: Tina

2015 Women in Business Conference 
Speaker Sneak Peek: Tina Ashby




 #IMgoingRU

For more information: wib2015.likeapro.me

To register:
https://byums.org/event?event_id=943 (Register as a "guest" when given the option)





Women in Business Conference 2015 will be for women professionals by fearless women professionals.  Come meet and listen to women business leaders across the nation speak about topics including:

• Fearless Leadership
• Women Fearlessly in Technology
• Fearless Non-Profit Management
• Women Fearlessly in Politics
• Fearlessly Returning to the Workforce
• Education without Fear

February 27th and 28th, 2015
Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center

Friday evening includes dinner, keynote speaker and networking opportunities
Saturday includes meals, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and networking.

Don’t Have Enough Experience? How to Land the Job Anyway

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If you’re the new kid on the block, moving your career forward will take time. You can’t magically acquire years of experience, and without a proven track record, coworkers and managers may be slow to trust you with more advanced responsibilities.

Although there are no shortcuts to advancing your career, there are ways to make the most of your time in the lower ranks.

Here are some ways to distinguish yourself as a valuable, experienced professional and inch closer to the position you really want. (Click here to tweet this list.)

Hone your skills

Specialized skills are becoming more and more important. About 69 percent of recruiters expect hiring to become more competitive in 2015 as the demand increases for a small pool of highly-skilled workers.

Understand what skills are needed for the position you want and gain them. Complete certifications and additional courses, attend workshops and seminars, or seek other training to learn what you need to know. A recent salary survey of health IT professionals by HealthITJobs.com found that employees with certifications typically make $10,000 or more than those without.

Find a niche and become an expert. While you may not be the most experienced employee, you may become the most experienced in a specialized area.

Speak up

Although hiding behind email is tempting, face to face communication is still important in the office. Do your part to improve the team’s collaboration and productivity by actively communicating throughout the work day. Young professionals who communicate effectively are valuable assets and will stand out among their peers who rely on technology.

Listening is a big part of effective communication, and is often neglected. When speaking with your manager or co-workers, actively listen to what they’re saying. Paying attention to conversations sounds simple, but it’s easy to get distracted by your own thoughts. Get into the habit of repeating what others say for clarification and then ask questions. Not only will you engage in more interesting conversations, but you’ll also hold yourself accountable for active listening.

Be a team player

Don’t just communicate with your coworkers, but work with them as a team. Individual skills are important, but if you can’t support the rest of the team, specialized knowledge means little.

Although you may be new, don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts, getting involved in meetings, and jumping into projects. Sitting on the sidelines won’t get you noticed.

As a part of a team, you’ll have to work with different personalities and working styles. Get to know your coworkers and how they work best. Some people may be difficult to work with, but use your best effort to put your differences aside and work as a team. Adjust how you work and communicate to effectively accomplish tasks with different team members.

As a new team member, establish yourself as strong team player. Volunteer to take on extra responsibilities, help overburdened team members and work extra hours when you can.

Becoming the team’s go-to person will help you gain valuable experience, learn more about the company and sharpen your skills.

Become an expert

Know your business. Stay on top of current events, trends, changes, new technology and anything else that will impact your company or industry. Find the top websites and blogs for your industry and sign up for their newsletters… and read them.

Another way to keep on top of news is to set up Google Alerts. Pick a few industry keywords and Google will send you email notifications any time it finds new results on the topic. Learn everything you can and discuss topics with your coworkers. Become a fountain of information.

Also, don’t limit discussions to inside the office. Become a valuable resource online as well. Follow the big players and key influencers in your field on social media to gain insight and information, and then share articles and information with colleagues to strengthen relationships and establish yourself as an expert.

Be positive

The old saying “attitude is everything” sounds cheesy, but attitude can be critical to your success.

Yet many young professionals are failing in this area — 33 percent of HR managers said that millennials have a bad attitude during the interview. If you do have a job, chances are you had a good attitude during the interview process. But attitude is just as important after you’ve been hired as it was before.

Accept challenges with a smile and always be ready and willing to help. When new opportunities do become available, managers are likely to think of friendly and cooperative employees when considering who to promote — not someone else with a negative attitude.

Tim Cannon is the vice president of product management and marketing at HealthITJobs.com , the largest free job search resource connecting busy health IT professionals with relevant opportunities in the health IT field with minimal effort. Connect with Tim and HealthITJobs.com on LinkedIn .

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The Art of Delegation: The Smarter Way to Get More Done

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Have you ever asked someone to help with something at work, but when they delivered the results you wondered if they were even speaking the same language?

Let me take a not-so-wild guess at how this scenario plays out for you: you like doing things yourself, but after working more than you should, you realize you just don’t have enough time in the day. As a result, you offer to give someone else in your department a chance to step up. Even if it’s against your better judgment, you delegate work to someone who may not have as much knowledge or experience as you to do the work the way you normally get it done.

Then, when this person comes back with a product that doesn’t meet what you were looking for, you chalk it up to that person not being ready to take on the job. As a result, you stop delegating until your workload overwhelms you again… and the cycle repeats itself.

The art of delegation

There’s good news and bad news about this cycle. The bad news is if you’re not getting what you need, the problem sits squarely on your shoulders — not theirs. The good news is you can break free from this cycle by always following these four steps when considering whether or not to delegate a task: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Choose the right task to delegate

Let’s face it: not every task can be delegated. If your workload requires historical background knowledge or subjective interpretation, you may want to keep this project for yourself. However, you should consider delegating recurring tasks. While you’ll invest time up front, you’ll only reap the benefits after that. Consider it the gift that keeps on giving.

2. Choose the right person for the job

One of my career coaches once told me you your teams are the most productive when you play to their strengths — not harping on where they need development. In light of this, you must consider the skills of people available before delegating. If you know you have someone on the team who makes great decks, don’t give that person a detailed spreadsheet analysis task when you’re pressed for time.

A sign of a great leader is when you can create opportunity for your team to develop new skills — and knowing when to push is a skill itself.

3. Plan ahead

You know what’s annoying? When someone sits on a task for a week — right up until the day of the deadline — before asking for help. It puts your team in a difficult position as they won’t have sufficient time to come up to speed, and it makes you look like a jerk because you’re stressed with no patience because of an imminent deadline. Don’t be that person.

Of course, last minute things come up, but most of us could benefit from spending a little more time planning, including considering who could help us with a project, before we dive into execution mode.

4. Explain your expectations in detail

You know the keyword in that header? Detail. If you fail to paint a clear picture of your vision, no can’t get angry at a colleague for exercising a bit of creative license and defining their own.

5. Provide an example of the finished product

Impersonation is the highest form of flattery, so why not give your team the opportunity to flatter you? Show a real example of the work you want done so the person helping you can copy it. This is critical as details about conceptual projects often become lost in translation.

What do you do if you don’t have a finished product available to share? You hand over the next best thing: a rough draft, picture, or drawing to illustrate what you want the result to look like. This will go a long way to making sure your vision aligns on the expected output.

Combine all of these five steps and you should never face another case of delegation disappointment again.

Eric Butts is a Management Consultant, MBA and CPA. By day he solves complex business problems for some of the world’s most well-known brands, and by night he teaches others how to carve out successful careers in the business world. Follow him @EButtsCPA .

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