Why Doesnt LinkedIn Have Any Serious Competitors

Why Doesnt LinkedIn Have Any Serious Competitors With millions of highly skilled employees on LinkedIn, the professional networking site is an essential tool for corporate and agency recruiters alike. The ‘serious network’ has been the dominant player since it first launched in 2003 and no new platforms have seriously challenged its market position. The world’s largest professional social network has over 467 million users worldwide, including 133 million in the United States. For individuals, it’s a place to network, for recruiters it’s a platform to post jobs and source talent. LinkedIn today remains the ultimate tool for anyone looking to make professional connections or find employment. Cornering the market LinkedIn hasn’t become the “Facebook for business” by accident. The network was first launched by founder Reid Hoffman on May 5, 2003. Within one month it had 4,500 users. Today, they have 467 million users and no serious English language challengers. LinkedIn was successful early on at driving high quality professionals to their site. Hoffman deliberately seeded the product with power users, as he knew that creating an aspirational brand was key to going mainstream. The network would have failed if there hadn’t been a major adoption of influencers in 2003. LinkedIn also crucially deployed an Outlook style contact uploader to allow it to go viral. By doing so they managed to increase their user base far quicker than any competitor. Even today, no other brand has invested in this area despite the distribution benefits you get from Outlook compared to webmail. Empire building During its formative years, LinkedIn deferred any content related revenue or engagement strategy until its growth path was established. Despite substantially increasing its B2C content output since then, most employees consider LinkedIn a low maintenance network. It doesn’t require constant engagement or day-to-day management. Most LinkedIn’s users have no tangible need to register anywhere else. The account creation process is lengthy and once completed, the average LinkedIn user has little incentive to job hunt on smaller platforms. As LinkedIn grows, more people use the exact same platform, and using any other professional networking website becomes less attractive. Where’s the competition? From being the first major online CV directory to becoming a content powerhouse for recruitment, B2B  sales, marketing, and lead generation. LinkedIn is now established in more than 200 countries, receives 100 million unique visitors a month and currently up to 60% of US companies use it to hire staff. That’s a phenomenal market share by anyone’s standards. Indeed, there doesn’t appear to be any successful English speaking business networks other than LinkedIn. Future challengers? LinkedIn could face serious competition from Workplace by Facebook (previously  Facebook at Work), which launched in October 2016, and millennial focused entrants such as Jobr and Debut. While European companies such as Xing (Germany) and Viadeo (France), are too small to rival their 467 million user base, Workplace by Facebook  has the brand power to challenge LinkedIn. Workplace by Facebook lets you create a work account that is separate from your personal Facebook account, says Facebook. With a Workplace  account, you can use Facebook tools to interact with co-workers. Things you share using your work account will only be visible to other people at your company. Facebook has the global popularity to attract millions of professionals, despite being banned at several workplaces. The professional version is separate from the social network, and if successful, it might be easier for them to challenge LinkedIn, than some of their European competitors. However, it doesn’t appear to be a traditional market challenge as Facebook is targeting team building within an organisation, while LinkedIn remains a medium for users, recruiters and organisations/industries. Facebook at Work is more likely to disrupt team building apps such as Slack and Yammer than LinkedIn’s global network. Is  LinkedIn unstoppable? Microsoft successfully  closed its $26 billion deal for LinkedIn in December 2016, making it the largest acquisition in the tech company’s history. Bolstering their respective markets, LinkedIn will be looking to accelerate their growth by integrating Microsoft’s premiere features (Microsoft Outlook and Office 365). Having cornered the business market early doors, LinkedIn began as a frontier product and only fragmentation and niche competitors can threaten their long-term position as the world’s leading business-network site. Will it last forever? Unlikely, but for the foreseeable future it remains an essential tool for recruiters and employees. Like all successful empires, LinkedIns biggest competition is probably themselves.

The Excellence Equation Passion and Commitment - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Excellence Equation Passion and Commitment - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When someone seems stuck in their career and unsure of their next step, a question they’re often asked to answer is, “What are you passionate about?” That seems like a logical starting point. After all, when you’re working on your passion, whatever it is, the belief is that you’ll enjoy yourself more and be more willing to do what needs to be done. But is passion really enough? I thought it was until I saw a movie this weekend called Herb and Dorothy which chronicles the true story of a Manhattan couple, who over a 40-year period amassed one of the most impressive collections of Minimalist and Conceptual artâ€"nearly 5,000 piecesâ€"all on a postal worker’s salary, and all from a one-bedroom apartment. They lived day-to-day on Dorothy’s salary as a librarian and spent every penny Herb made on art. They bought pieces that they liked, were affordable and could fit into their tiny living space. You could say they had a passion for art, but I also saw a very deep commitment to it as well. They spent every single dollar and every single free moment they had immersed in art, learning about it, talking about it, visiting galleries, meeting artists. I really didn’t get Herb and Dorothy at first. Early in the film, I was disturbed by what seemed like an extreme art addiction. No matter how much they collected, they kept wanting more. What was the point of collecting so many pieces? When you had to start stacking works under the bed shouldn’t that have been a signal that enough was enough? It seemed like a constant thirst that couldn’t be quenched, and that bothered me. But then I thought about the other extreme, that group of people who work and live without either passion or commitment. Going through the motions, caring very little and giving up at the first obstacle. That actually bothered me more. And it should bother you too because those people could be working for you, interacting with your customers, influencing your staff, or involved in something much more critical to your life. Just getting by You can’t really control the actions or motivations (or lack thereof) of others. You can’t manifest a desire within someone to do well; only they can do that. But what you can do is be a role model and develop excellence in yourself by re-committing to commitment. If you’ve already identified what you’re passionate about from a work standpoint, ask yourself next how you can also remain committed to it for the long term, because that’s the true turning point towards excellence. How can I be committed to being the best at what I do? How can I: Put in the time that’s required? Invest the money that’s needed? Build the relationships I need to build? Learn everything I need to know? Being passionate about your work is for your benefit. Being committed to your work is for the benefit of others. Only when both elements of the equation are addressed can you be truly excellent in your field. Author: Liz Lynch is founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008). Connect with Liz on Twitter at @liz_lynch and get your free Smart Networking Toolkit at http://www.SmartNetworking.com.

The Impression That I Get

The Impression That I Get Earlier in the week I hosted an employer who came to the University to hold placement interviews with a number of my students. Interviews are usually held at the offices of the employer, so on occasions as rare as this, it is a good opportunity for me to develop the relationship with the hiring managers and gain an insight into their thinking when recruiting interns. While it was good to catch up and find out how our interns-turned-grads are progressing with their careers in the company, it also provided a stark reminder of just how quickly a recruiter makes a decision about the students. Following the final interview, I was given instant feedback highlighting which candidates were likely to be made an offer, those who could be in the mix, while the others were already out of contention. All following just a 20-30 minute conversation. Interviews are pressured environments and understandably many students can be affected by nerves, particularly if these are their first meaningful interviews. There are so many variables that cannot be controlled in the course of an interview, but with good preparation a student can make that all-important good first impression. Here are a few tips that I share with my students. 1. Always dress to impress. This is clearly a no-brainer but every year there is one student who does not get the message and turns up to an employer in their casuals. Funnily enough, Ive not yet met an intern who got their job when interviewed in a hoody and baggy jeans. Suit up and look sharp. 2. Be assured, but not cocky. If you go into an interview thinking you know it all, the chances are that you dont. Your interviewer is probably vastly experienced in their field and has substantially more knowledge than you. Be confident in what you know and dont try to blag things that you dont. 3. Know your CV. All that an employer will know about you before your interview is what you put into your application. Expect to be asked questions which probe a little deeper into your education, skills and experience. Ive known students who have embellished the truth somewhat on their CV and then found themselves tripped up when asked questions about their artificial experiences. 4. Do your research. A very common question in interviews is Why do you want to work for us? Cover all bases by looking into the company, both historically and what is currently in the news. Then go beyond the employer and look at their industry as a whole and their competitors. You can never go into an interview armed with too much background knowledge. 5. Give it your best shot. You probably only have one chance with each employer, so dont prepare for the interview half-heartedly. If you honestly give it your all but miss out to a stronger candidate, you can have no regrets. But as the saying goes, if you fail to prepare, start preparing to fail. 0

Understanding Talent Acquisition in a World of Data Regulation

Understanding Talent Acquisition in a World of Data Regulation Effective recruitment is not just about filling vacancies but has an impact on organizational issues, such as future skills development, organizational performance, and employer brand. Research from Accenture suggests that business success will depend on ongoing collaboration between people and technology, to drive efficiencies and innovation: “In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), business success will increasingly depend on people and machines collaborating with each other”. With competition for top talent likely to increase over the next few years, as a result of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, makes it essential to build a recruitment strategy that allows you to ensure you’re hiring the right people for the right jobs with a robust talent management system. Good data management is essential in fitting the right people for the right jobs within an organization. The management of employee data must be communicated in a transparent manner, along with the reasons for collecting and holding some information. At 10Eighty we believe that HR professionals are best equipped to lead by example and demonstrate to other departments how data should be handled following the introduction of GDPR. The GDPR regulations mean that recruitment and hiring professionals must be transparent in their use of automation for hiring decisions and sharing the data gathered during as part of recruitment processes. Consent from candidates to use automated processes and machine learning should be obtained and a system that affords a centralized candidate management system will help to facilitate the process. HR and data regulation The management of employee data is a key element for GDPR compliance, but it’s essential that organizations also think about the data they hold on job applicants. HR is usually responsible for holding employee and candidate personal data and they should be aware that the new GDPR regulations say the organization should only collect data for “specified, explicit and legitimate purposes.” So, for example, when you source candidate data you should ensure you collect only the job-related information needed at each stage of the process. It is important to realize that conditions for consent have been strengthened so consent that was obtained as part of the terms and conditions of employment contracts may no longer suffice. The organization must specifically ask for consent when processing data like disability information, cultural, genetic or biometric information or information gathered for a background check. You must ask for consent in a clear and intelligible way and offer candidates clear instructions as to how to withdraw their consent should they wish to do so. The CIPD says the new rules are intended to meet the needs of a digital age and require a change in organizational attitude towards data privacy. HR has a crucial role to play in achieving the new goal of data protection by design and default. Your starter for 10: Begin by identifying the personal and sensitive personal data obtained from employees how and where data is stored, accessed and used, and the legal basis for collecting, storing and processing it what data is shared with third parties what kind of monitoring of employees takes place and where. Then design an action plan to review policies, processes, and documentation in order to establish what is required, what training and support are needed in order to demonstrate compliance. You need to review how the organization collects, holds and processes personal data, as well communication with individuals about those activities. Employees will be able to ask what HR-related personal data is being processed, why it is being used and where it is held. HR must provide a free copy of any data that it holds on request, so the organization needs systems that allow ready access to the data. The GDPR regulations are designed to bring about a culture shift and HR have a key role in helping the organization to develop a practical approach to the implementation of GDPR compliant strategies.

5 Pieces of Job Search Advice That Are Actually Wrong CareerMetis.com

5 Pieces of Job Search Advice That Are Actually Wrong Acquiring the right knowledge can give you a head start while wrong information could destroy all you have achieved. Same way, right advice can bring the most out of people, help them achieve whatever they desire but what if it goes another way around? You never know, what you think as a blessing, can turn out to be disastrous and much more.People who are working in companies or industries before you, are definitely supposed to provide you with a few pieces of advice and share better in-sight of work culture. But take it as a note, there are people suggesting devastating advice that could ruin your entire career and destroy all that you can achieve. So, yes, it does matter what you conceive and how you react to it, as it is going to decide whether you will land on your dream job or not.evalSince there are thousands of advice revolving around. We have summoned up some advice that one should definitely ignore.So, here’s a look at 5 pieces of job search advice that people suggest actu ally work but they don’t!1)”Take the Job with The Highest Pay”evalThis is the most common piece of advice that you might receive while you are on your job search “if they pay you well, take that job”. You might even find your parents or friends suggesting you take the job that provides maximum benefits and maybe why not.But here is a thing, is money all that what matters? For some, it might but the question is can money make it up to other things that you lose on an everyday basis? Can it compensate for every other thing that you have lost or will lose just because money is all that matters right?Here’s a billion-dollar saying “Money cannot buy happiness” and one should definitely agree with this.Imagine you are stuck at a job where you are getting a good salary and lots of incentives but eventually it’s boring or you don’t see any progress in your role, or nothing motives you about that job. Will you be able to find happiness in such a place or will you be able to grow in your career at all? I think it’s a big No.One should always keep this in mind that money should be one of the factors deciding your job search and not your primary factor. A job seeker should always take up the job where they think they can represent their skills in the best manner possible and see a lot of opportunities to grow in the corporate sector.2) “If Its Comfortable, Stick to It”evalThis is one of the most delusional advice that you will receive your entire life. You will always find people around you, telling you to stick up to that role where you are most comfortable at. But here is a thing, there is no relation between comfort and success in the corporate world.If a job offers you comfort, then it’s a job or role that you are already familiar with. There is nothing new, nothing that amazes you, nothing that is challenging or pushes your limits. In short, you can be comfortable at a job but still not have peace of mind which is essential to get a person going.We have to agree that being comfortable at a job is more damaging in long term than being uncomfortable and taking up risks. A person who is comfortable at work can never achieve great things. He/she can never express their potential at the maximum. And if it’s not challenging maybe it’s not worth it. Therefore, one should be coming up with new ideas and strive to push their limits every day.When you challenge yourself, you learn and grow. Thus, it is very essential to be restless and uncomfortable at your work all the time.3) “Always Dress Up for an Interview”evalJob-seekers appearing for interviews, definitely wish to look professional and polished. Since people in our country follow a very western-focused culture, they have started to believe that its important to always dress up nice and appealing.Professionals that dress up right has set a benchmark-criteria to wear proper clothes to organisations. But one should always remember that work culture could be totally different in different organisations and every organisation focus on a different set of skills.There are so many examples where existing employees wear jeans/t-shirt and there is no code for professional clothes. Thus, wearing such appealing clothes is of no use in such organisations, rather your work says it all. In many of the organisations including Google itself, there is no code to dress.People have full freedom to wear whatever makes them most comfortable. These organisations focus more on end results rather than employees everyday attire. They believe that end results and success is what all matters and not some clothes that reflects nothing.Thus, this is a big myth that people should dress up really nice for their interviews.4) “Downplay Your Own Achievements and Abilities”The worst thing you could do to yourself or your career growth is when you downplay your own set of skills. You will find a number of people who do not display their achievements properly especially w hen it comes to selling themselves to the right recruiters. And thus, they never get the right job.Many might feel that praising your own skills is too much or candidates boast about themselves but it’s not. It’s never that way. A job seeker should always know the right way to market themselves and display all of their skills. One should always speak to their accomplishments and let others know what is their expertise and what all one has achieved.Therefore, if someone is advising you to keep it low and don’t reveal too much about yourself, then it’s the kind of advice you should definitely ignore.eval5) “Take a Job for Now”The easiest way to stress yourself and sadden your life is by engaging in the wrong place of work. There will be thousands advising you to take a position for now and change it later when you have the opportunity but maybe in the real world, it doesn’t work that way.evalOne should never take up a role where they feel they are overqualified and canno t display their skills efficiently. If you are temporarily assigned a role where you are not comfortable or observe no growth, you might end up hating the place, your role and everything around you.Thus, it’s better to say No to such positions and save both, time and energy for yourself as well as recruiters. Also, only alternative to cure this situation is by quitting the role and all of its responsibilities and be tagged as a Job Hopper.Therefore, its best to be patient and stick where you feel you can be yourself, can display your skills efficiently and utilize most resources. People are often eager to flood you with advice that could make or ruin your future. Always remember, all advice is not good advice and can leave a devastating impact.We need to realize that people should work to live and not the other way around. Some spend the exact number of hours at work, while there are many who believe that overtime will grant them success faster than their colleagues. Well, this mi ght have worked a decade ago but today, it is considered as a sign of inefficiency in an individual.Nearly 4 out of 10 employees in the same department procrastinate their daily tasks, which is why they have to work extra hours beyond their regular shifts. People need to understand the exact value of things and thus, should work in accordance with that.eval

5 Ways To Find Small Company Flexwork That Fits Your Life

5 Ways  To  Find Small Company  Flexwork  That Fits Your Life 5 Ways  To  Find Small Company  Flexwork  That Fits Your Life When it comes to finding flexible work that fits your life, good things come in small packages. That’s according to  flexwork  expert  Kathryn  Sollmann, author of  Ambition Redefined:  Why the Corner Office Doesn’t Work for Every Woman What to Do Instead.   I asked  Sollmann  why small is so beautiful, and she said, “Big companies  are slow to changeâ€"and many  are struggling to institutionalize less traditional work structures for  legions of  global employees. Instead of trying to cut through miles of bureaucratic red tape to get the work flexibility you need, the better strategy is to focus on the burgeoning small employer market.”   Opportunities at small companies are vast, and their market share is substantial. The 29.6 million  U.S.  small businesses  account for almost 48%  of private-sector  employees and 41%  of payrollâ€"and  almost 62%  of all net new jobs from 1993 to 2016. These small businesses are led by individuals who often have opted  out of the restrictive nature of corporate America. More nimble,  smaller  management teams have the leeway to operate as humans, and they are  more likely to bend on how work is done. How do you find these small companies  when they are  not household names? Pursue general “word-of-mouth”  intelligence.  Network to find  professionals who left the large corporate world to launch small businesses of their own. Ask contacts  if they know about  rising companies that have top-ranked clients. Often suburban towns, for example,  are the homes of  semi-retired executives who  need  flexible  help running smaller ventures.  When Sollmann was a recruiter, she  placed a woman at the  office  of  a  prominent,  three-time CEO. As his  â€œright hand,”  this woman helps the  ex-CEO manage  personal investments, real estate holdings,  and corporate board activity.  It’s a flexible and  interesting  job with a 15-minute commute. Target small business owners who trained with leading companies.  If you’re interested in fashion, for example, you could  target  small business owners who once worked for Ralph Lauren  or Tory Burch. LinkedIn can lead you to former employees of all  big-name  companies, and some may have small businesses in your  area. Mine  Chamber of Commerce members  in your target locations.  Many entrepreneurs rely on their local business communities to  spread the word about their smaller-scale  ventures. Join local chapters of major industry organizations. Smaller companies  join industry organizations to get greater exposure. When you  join, you have access to the membership directory, which can  give you key employer prospects. See who belongs to organizations  supporting  entrepreneurs. Many fledgling company members cannot  afford full-time  employees,  and list  part  time or project opportunities on  organization job  boards. You can  network with officers  listed on member  sites, too. For womenâ€"and menâ€"who shoulder or share  two caregiving roles (for  example,  children and aging parents),  flexible work is the most valuable employee benefit  of all. The bonus of a small employer is often its proximity to home, making it easier to nurture both family  and  financial security. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class ® right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!

Tips on Writing a Resume When Returning to the Workforce

Tips on Writing a Resume When Returning to the WorkforceWhen a person is back in the workplace after having spent many years out of the work force, many questions arise about what he or she can do to get prepared for what to expect when returning to the workplace. The answer is very important, but the first question can be how to write a resume when returning to the workforce.A resume is a record of a past job. It is not a contract or even a 'script' as some people refer to it. In order to get prepared for what to expect when returning to the workplace, a person needs to be honest and accurate about all the points he or she has written on the resume.Most resumes are written by someone who already has experience in the field and the person knows the needs of the person they are writing for. They may have worked for a company previously but they don't know what position the person is applying for or what the duties are going to be. They are not their employer, and the resume reflects t his. What a person writes on the resume is almost a who, what, where, when, why, and how of the position.A resume is not meant to promote a person, but it is meant to help the company and the individual to make an assessment about the potential employee and decide if he or she is right for the job. Writing a resume when returning to the workforce also helps make the employer more comfortable with the job candidate and decreases the chance of being rejected or passed over for the position.When writing a resume when returning to the workforce, a person should always write down his or her education, college, masters, PhD, and other relevant training and degrees. A person needs to always list these details when creating a resume for himself or herself. This will go a long way in building credibility is very important in the workplace. To be prepared for the resume writing questions, a person should familiarize himself with the types of questions that will be asked. The most common resum e writing questions are: what was your job description? What were you doing in your previous job?Other questions include: what is your compensation? What are your responsibilities?These are just a few examples of questions that will be asked when a person writes a resume when returning to the workforce. With these tips on writing a resume when returning to the workforce, it will help a person to prepare for the many questions that will be asked during the hiring process.