​Have you been thinking about a creative career related to your hobby?
 
A recent study at San Francisco State University looked at how creative hobbies like knitting, cooking, painting, photography, gardening, or other similar activities affect work performance, and results showed that what you do in your leisure time could make you a more valuable employee. Findings were published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
 
People who use their free time creatively perform better at solving problems at work and are more helpful to their colleagues, according to researchers at San Francisco State University. They believe creative activities stimulate learning and help people to feel energized and engaged. The study’s Lead Author was Dr. Kevin Eschleman.
 
The question is: Are YOU ready to make the connection between your hobby and your career? Consider these suggestions about using your hobby to get ahead at the office.

1. Focus on the mission. Think about how your pastimes align with the company's mission. A sustainable architecture firm might appreciate your organic garden.
   
2. Connect with your colleagues. Relationships play a big role in job satisfaction. Accept your coworkers’ invitation when they ask you to join them for a social event that could also be a hobby, i.e., a hiking trip. 
   
3. Review your job responsibilities. Do your hobby and your professional position have anything in common? You might be juggling numbers at work for budgeting and at home for the local community's fundraising budget.
   
4. Showcase your strengths and achievements. We’re often drawn to hobbies that enable us to develop our innate talents. Employers will notice that you’re a strategic thinker if you tell them about your tournament bridge winnings or your public speaking abilities, if you tell them about your efforts at Toastmasters.
   
5. Be memorable. In today’s job market, you may need to distinguish yourself in a large pool of candidates. A recruiter is more likely to remember your name if you verbally tell them something about your personal interests.
   
6. Express your personality. Focus on something you’re passionate about so it will be easy to sound articulate and engaged.
   

• Remain up-to-date. At the same time, it’s always good to keep up with the trends. Be open to learning new skills that will connect the dots between your career and your hobby.

• Edit your resume. Depending on the position, add a hobbies section to your resume. Include it only when it appears relevant.Mention it at your interview. Some questions provide an opening to discuss your hobby. When a reviewer asks what you do with your free time, you’ll have a better answer than watching TV.
  
• Put on a show. Hobbies come in handy for the office talent show. Reveal your musical talent on the piano, if that's the case.
  
• Share with your coworkers. Whatever activities you enjoy, you probably have expertise, goods, or services that your coworkers would appreciate. Baked goods usually top the list.
• Personalize your staff bio. Let your clients get to know the real you. They may enjoy finding out that their graphic designer also illustrates his own comic books.
• Create a side income. Some people turn their hobbies into full-time jobs. Starting gradually is a good way to test your earning potential while you hold onto your current paycheck.

1. Extend your network. The best leads tend to come from friends of friends and acquaintances. If all your LinkedIn connections are accountants, your leisure pursuits could help you to meet more hairstylists and foreign diplomats.
   

• Achieve life balance. Best of all, a hobby widens your experiences and knowledge. You’ll gain exposure to things you may never see around the office.​

Of course, your hobby is rewarding in itself, even if your boss doesn’t share your enthusiasm for its details. Advancing your career is just a bonus compared to the deeper benefits of learning about yourself and becoming more accomplished.

Almost 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates, but most job seekers are overlooking this valuable opportunity.
 
If you’re like many professionals, you probably created a profile and occasionally go back to add more connections. However, there is so much more you can do with this platform to advance your career.

​Take charge of your future and attract more attention from potential employers. Try these tips for designing and using your LinkedIn profile.

• EDIT YOUR HEADLINE. Start by writing a specific headline. Tell employers what value you add and make them want to learn more. Keep your audience in mind and avoid technical terms that may be unfamiliar to them.

​

1. UPDATE YOUR SUMMARY. Your summary is where you can add more details and showcase your achievements. Provide statistics to describe your impact. Add multimedia attachments like videos and work samples to help you stand out.
   
   
2. CHOOSE YOUR PHOTO. Pick an image that looks professional and clear. Focus on your face and use flattering natural light.
   
   
3. ADD KEYWORDS. Help recruiters and automated search tools find you. Browse through job descriptions and resumes for keywords that are popular in your field and include them in your profile, including the headline and summary.
   
   
4. CUSTOMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN URL. LinkedIn gives your profile a URL, but you can customize your LinkedIn URL to something that you like better or might work more effectively for you. If your name is already taken, use a slight variation with your middle initial or hometown.
5. WELCOME RECRUITERS. Is your profile visible to recruiters? Go into your privacy settings to be sure that you’ve opted to let them know that you want to hear from them. You’ll need to reset this switch every few months if you’re still looking.

​​

1. UPDATE YOUR "JOB PREFERENCES". Below is LinkedIn's advice about updating your job preferences and requirements in your profile.  

1. BE CONSISTENT. Your resume is usually written for a specific job opportunity while, your profile is a more general statement. Still, you want them to be similar enough to avoid causing any confusion.
   
   
2. CHECK THE METER. LinkedIn provides a profile strength meter to help you optimize your profile and rate yourself. It will give you helpful recommendations about additional steps you can take, such as adding more information about volunteer work and foreign languages.

1. GATHER RECOMMENDATIONS & ENDORSEMENTS. Recruiters want to know what others say about you. Ask former employers and other contacts for recommendations. Use your endorsements to advertise skills that are in high demand. If you’re generous about helping others, they’ll be more likely to return the favor.
   
   
2. WRITE & PUBLISH. Share your knowledge and insights on the LinkedIn publishing platform. Develop a content strategy and use a calendar that will remind you to publish regularly.
   
   
3. JOIN GROUPS. Look for groups in your subject area of expertise and participate actively. Post articles and answer questions. Avoid any temptation to over-promote yourself.
   ​
4. MONITOR YOUR CONNECTIONS. Stay on the lookout for valuable connections (try the TOP 20 PEOPLE LIST) to add to your network. Send them personal invitations that will make a positive impression.
   
   
5. BE SUPPORTIVE & ENCOURAGING OF OTHERS. Think of LinkedIn as a community where you can exchange ideas and support. Comment on posts from other users and share them with your connections.
   
   
6. BE DISCREET. While you’re working to raise your visibility, keep in mind that there may be times when you want to keep your job-hunting activities off view from your current boss and HR department. Change your privacy settings so you can control what information you want to make public.

 
Optimize your LinkedIn profile and increase your visibility. It can make it easier for others to find you and help you reach your professional goals. 

Source: ​https://www.market-connections.net/blog/how-to-optimize-your-linkedin-profile-in-2020

​Here is a list of 20 places where you can find and apply for remote jobs. If you’re trying to start a freelance career or  hoping to nail down a remote job, these websites are a great place to start looking.
 
Some of these sites are free, while others are paid membership sites.

If you’ve ever known anyone ultra-successful, you know that they can appear to be a different breed. We’re not talking about someone who is a straight-A student and goes on to make $250,000 per year. We’re talking about people who win gold medals, become billionaires, or impact the entire world in some way.
 
These ultra-successful people are all unique, but they share many of the same habits. Mimic these habits of successful people and become more successful yourself:

Success leaves clues, and the world’s highest achievers share patterns that consistently elevate their performance. These seven habits reflect the mindset, discipline, and daily choices that set ultra-successful people apart. By understanding these behaviors and practicing them intentionally, you can accelerate your own growth and move closer to extraordinary results.

​Your habits largely influence how successful you’ll become. Effective habits result in great results. Poor habits lead to undesirable results. One of the most effective ways to take your life to the next level is to create habits that support your goals.
 
The most successful people in the world have the best habits for success. Pick up a couple of these habits and integrate them into your life. You’ll be glad you did!

Source: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/the-7-definitive-steps-to-success

Before you invest in your dream job, it’s crucial to understand the financial implications of a major career shift. From budgeting for training to evaluating long-term earning potential, taking the time to compare costs and plan your transition will help you make informed decisions that support both your goals and your wallet. 

Ponder these points before you go after the job of your dreams.

Will you need training or education for your new career, and how much will it cost? What do you need to know to be successful in the work? How will you obtain the knowledge or skills? It might take some time and money, so it’s wise to make an achievable plan.

Do you have money saved to help you through the transition? If you’ll require some training or time to hone skills, you’ll be working on those things and not bringing home the bacon. Therefore, you’ll need some cash stashed for living costs.
​
If you’ve established a healthy pattern of saving over the years, you can fall back on it. Still, you’ll want to figure out how long you’ll be out of commission in terms of earning to estimate how long you’ll be living on savings.

Is it possible to start saving big now? In the event you’re pondering a job change, you can expect to experience some personal and financial upheaval if you decide to switch careers. It makes sense to start saving extra money now to pad your emergency fund.

You might not be able to anticipate every single financial demand that will occur because of switching careers, so any extra funds you save will protect you and your family.

If you consider all these points when thinking about making a career change, you’ll be as financially prepared as you can once you decide to leap into an exciting, new job.

Source: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/considering-the-cost-of-a-career-change

You may have heard the term “the hidden job market.” What is it, and how do jobseekers get access to it? The “hidden job market” is a phrase that describes job openings that are not publicly advertised. 

• The cost of advertising an open position can be substantial.
• They don’t want to be overwhelmed with applications.
• A new role is being created and they are unsure of the qualifications of the ideal employee.
• They are replacing an existing employee (who doesn’t know they are being replaced).

 
Most of these job opportunities are accessed through referrals from current employees of the company. It’s estimated that 60-80 percent of jobs are found through professional networking. While not all of the jobs found through professional networking are accessing the hidden job market (after all, your friends/family/acquaintance network can help you access interviews for advertised opportunities too), almost all candidates who get interviews for unadvertised jobs do so through networking.
 
Current employees can be an excellent source of candidates. Particularly if the company has a strong workplace culture, having existing employees identify prospective candidates can help ensure solid candidates are encouraged to apply. Some companies even reward employees — with cash or gift cards — for recommending a candidate who is eventually hired.
 
Employee referrals provide an advantage for the jobseeker too. Employee recommendations can carry great weight. Plus, there is less competition for job opportunities accessed through the hidden job market than for openly advertised opportunities.
 
Being referred by a current employee may also mean that your application is set apart from the typical internal processes that most jobseekers have to navigate — such as an applicant tracking system for online applications.
 
Recruiters are another source of unadvertised positions. An employer may choose to work with a recruiter to fill a job rather than advertise it publicly. The recruiter sources job candidates, screens prospective hires, and sends the hiring manager a handful of handpicked candidates. This saves the company time and money. In many cases, when working with a third-party recruiter, the company only pays the recruiter if a candidate is hired, and only if he or she stays for a specified period of time (say, six months).
 
So how do you tap into the hidden job market? Because opportunities are filled both through employee referrals and recruiting, you will want to cover both bases.
 
Accessing the hidden job market works best when you have a clear target in mind — either a specific job title or, even better, a specific list of companies you’d like to work for.
 
There are basically three ways to access the hidden job market:

• Connect with someone at the company through your network (either an employee who can refer you or a hiring manager or a recruiter who works for the company).
• Contact the company directly about exploring unadvertised opportunities.
• Be visible enough in your industry or field to be contacted by a prospective employer.

• Let your network know you are looking for a new position. While this can be difficult if you are conducting a confidential job search, it’s important that the people you know think of you when an opening comes up.

• Following the advice of author Harvey Mackey, “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.” Having a large network of contacts pays off when it’s time to look for a new job — particularly when you want to tap into the hidden job market. Keep in touch with your former colleagues and bosses. Build your LinkedIn network by connecting with people in your field — but also by adding folks you know from everyday life — the other parents you sit with at your child’s karate dojo, the members of your recreational softball team, your neighbors, etc. All of these can potentially help you tap into the hidden job market.

• Help others. “Give to get.” Zig Ziglar famously said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Keep your ears open about unadvertised openings and help connect those in your network to these opportunities. This type of assistance is often reciprocated. Cultivate relationships with peers in the industry. These connections at other companies can pay off.

• If there is a particular employer you are interested in working for, consider approaching the company directly. When approaching a target employer directly, research the hiring manager and see if there is a mutual connection you can approach to make the introduction. Focus on expanding your network until you connect with someone who works there. Ask him or her to keep you in mind for unadvertised opportunities — or even pass along your résumé right away, even if there isn’t currently an opening.

 
While you are logged into your LinkedIn account, go to the company page and see if you have any existing connections with current or former employees:
​

• Identify companies in growth mode. Read your local business journal or the Business section of your local newspaper to find out which companies are growing. You’ll find announcements of new contracts, large office leases, and similar news in local publications or by setting up a targeted Google News alert.

• Look on LinkedIn for recruiters who work at your target employer. Some companies recruit primarily through in-house recruiters (recruiters who are company employees). Connecting with these individuals can be an excellent way to access the hidden job market.

 
While you are logged into your LinkedIn account, do a search for recruiter + [company name]:

• Connect with 2-3 recruiters in your industry or specialty. You may even be able to find out if the company uses a specific outside recruiter or agency for its searches. (Your network may be able to help you find this information, or you can contact the company directly to ask.) Having these extra eyes and ears looking out for opportunities can be a valuable asset in your job search.

• Make it easy to be found. Another angle to accessing the hidden job market is being approached directly about an unadvertised opportunity. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and make yourself visible by participating in industry activities, speaking and writing (when possible), and positioning yourself as a thought leader.

• Be active on social media. Follow employers you are interested in and engage them thoughtfully — liking and commenting on status updates and participating in online conversations with the brand itself or key employees. Share articles and insights about your industry. Follow and interact with key influencers in the industry using social media.

• Join online groups in your industry. While LinkedIn Groups have diminished in influence over the years, they still remain a good way to connect with colleagues. Plus, being active in Groups can make you more visible to recruiters in your industry.

• Join other online groups. Industry groups are the most logical choice for growing your network, but really any online groups can help you connect with others who may be able to help in your job search. This can include groups focused on your hobbies and interests as well as school alumni groups (not just college, but high school too).

• Get involved in associations and activities in your industry. Participate in professional association activities and build rapport with colleagues. Attend conferences and industry events. These are an opportunity to meet hiring managers and decision-makers at your target companies. The wider your network, the more opportunities to access the hidden job market.

• Another source of networking connections may be your university’s alumni association. If you are looking for a connection at a target company, see if the alumni association knows of one, or peruse the bios of company employees or leadership and see if you have a school in common. Looking at a company’s profile on LinkedIn may also potentially help you find alumni connections.

 
Remember, exploring the hidden job market is just one possible way to connect with your dream job. It’s a strategy that can pay off handsomely, but will often take longer than simply identifying advertised openings and applying. However, you will likely find there is less competition for the job opportunity, and if you are using an “inside source” — either a current employee or an internal recruiter — your likelihood of landing an interview can be higher than seeking out a traditionally advertised opening.

• Make a list of all of your existing offline connections (your holiday card or Christmas card list can be a good source to start).
• Get more involved on LinkedIn. Focus on adding 2-3 new connections each week, including recruiters in your industry. Participate in Groups and like and comment on posts. This can take as little as 5-10 minutes each day.
• Write out a list of employers you’d like to work for. This is your target company list. Next, focus on identifying anyone you know who currently works for that company.
• Commit to reading the Business section of your local newspaper and any local business journals weekly to look for companies in hiring mode.
• Get involved — whether online or “in real life,” visibility is important. Engage with groups, organizations, and associations by volunteering and participating in activities and events.

​

What Is a Leader? 

• A leader motivates others to act toward achieving a common goal. A leader can rally people around a cause and move them to take action toward achieving a particular objective.
• A good leader inspires people to do something bigger than themselves. To work together to accomplish key objectives. To pool their strengths and resources to achieve great things.
• A leader is different from an organizer. An organizer gathers resources and deploys them most effectively. Organizers are about efficiency, while leaders are about vision.​

​Here are 7 characteristics of a good leader:
 

• Vision. An effective leader has a clear vision of where they want to go and how they’re going to get there.
• Motivation. The effective leader is highly skilled at motivating people. They know what makes others tick and are able to tap into those emotional triggers.
• Service. The best leaders are those who serve their followers. They seek to serve their team and make their team as effective as possible.
• Empathy. A leader must be able to place themselves in the shoes of others.
• Creativity. The highly effective leader is creative when it comes to achieving their outcomes.
• Demanding. The best leaders demand the best from their teams. They don’t settle for mediocre results or half-hearted efforts.
• Management. A leader must be able to manage those who follow him.

 
It’s important to understand that leadership isn’t about having a particular position, title, or personal attributes. Just because you’re an executive doesn’t mean you’re a leader.
 
If you’re not an effective leader now, you can grow and become an effective leader. You can learn the skills and techniques necessary to have social influence. Below is a list describing eight (8) different types of leaders.  

First and foremost, a leader is self-motivated. Unlike followers, who must be told what to do, a leader is highly self-driven and motivated.
 
A leader is out in front of the crowd. They are moving forward on their initiative, taking action without being told to do so. A leader isn’t primarily motivated by salary or social perks. They have a fire within them. A powerful desire to make good change happen.
 
How can you grow in self-motivation? The primary way to strengthen self-motivation is by choosing a goal (or set of goals) that resonates with you deeply and stirs you up to want to accomplish great things. Think about your own life and career. What do you really, truly want to accomplish?
 
It’s these kinds of things that create motivation. Focus your attention on them. Assuming your goals involve more than just yourself, you’ll also be motivated to get others on board with your goals.

What is “confidence”? It’s an inner belief that you can achieve what you set out to do. It’s the personal assurance that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. It’s the feeling that nothing is too big or challenging for you.
 
Confidence is born out of action. The more action you take, the more overall success you’ll have. The more success you have, the more confident you’ll feel, which will lead you to take more action.
 
Yes, there will be times when you fail. There will be times when your ideas don’t pan out and your best efforts fall flat. If you want to be a confident leader, it’s critical that you keep taking action, moving forward, and striving for your goals.
 
It’s the courage to continue taking action that makes for a great, self-confident leader. The best leaders are inherently confident they consistently take action. 

You must hold yourself accountable for both your actions and the outcomes that those actions produce. When things go well, you take appropriate credit (and give credit to your team, of course). When things don’t go well, you take the blame.
 
The opposite of the accountable leader is the “victim” leader. The victim leader blames everyone and everything else for their failures.
 
If you’re going to be a powerful, compelling leader, you must accept 100% responsibility for the outcomes of your actions. You must take decisive action to influence specific outcomes and then embrace those outcomes, whatever they may be.
 
The reality is that your followers will never rise higher than you. They will look to you and follow your example. If they see you constantly blaming others and refusing to be accountable, they’ll do the same thing. Work hard to hold yourself accountable, and your team will do the same.

The best leaders have a fire in their bones. They are so passionate about what they’re doing that they’re willing to work long hours to accomplish their goals.
 
They see their vision clearly and are 100% committed to making it a reality. Passion is infectious. When you, as a leader, are passionate about reaching your objectives, it causes others to be passionate as well.
 
If you’re not passionate about the job before you, it means one of two things.

• First, it could mean that you’re doing the wrong job. It’s hard to be passionate about a job that you don’t care about.
• Second, it could mean that you haven’t set ambitious enough goals for yourself. It’s difficult to be passionate about small, mediocre goals.

 
Ultimately, passion flows out of vision. If you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and can see the great good that it will accomplish, you’ll be passionate. If, on the other hand, your vision is blurry and you’re not sure what you want to accomplish, you won’t be passionate at all.

There are few things a leader needs more than courage. The decisions you make as a leader will result in you being evaluated by others. Others will criticize you from time to time. Sometimes you’ll take action, and it simply won’t pan out.
​
If you’re not courageous as a leader, you simply won’t do the other things necessary to be a good leader. You won’t take appropriate risks because you’re afraid of missing the mark. You won’t suggest new ideas because you’re afraid they’ll be shot down.

There will be times when you simply don’t know what the outcome of a particular action will be. In those moments, you may be afraid and tempted to hold back. If you display great courage in the face of adversity, others will follow you. They’ll admire and be inspired by your courage and want to emulate you.

Integrity means always being consistent with your values. It means saying what you’ll do and doing what you say. It means you have strong moral values and that you hold fast to those moral values in every situation.

If you don’t have integrity, your followers will quickly abandon you. They’ll see that what you say is different from what you do - that you don’t have any particular morals guiding your actions.

Do you want to have a sense of authority with those on your team? Do you want them to respect you? Do you want them to do what you ask without grumbling and arguing? Then be a person of integrity.

Without integrity, those under you simply won’t trust you. They won’t have confidence that you’ll do what you say. They won’t be confident that you have their best interests in mind.

​Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage both your own emotions and the emotions of those around you. It’s the ability to understand why you’re feeling a certain way in a particular situation and to understand why others might be feeling a particular way.
 
There will be many times when you find yourself in difficult, stressful, emotionally-laden situations. In those moments, it’s essential that you be able to understand why you’re feeling a particular way and then respond appropriately.

In the same way, you must also be able to understand why others are feeling specific emotions. This skill, often called Emotional IQ, allows you to see things through the eyes of others.

If you are unable to understand the emotions of others, you won’t be able to effectively navigate highly emotional situations. You’ll make decisions without considering the feelings of others, which can cause significant damage to your relationships.

Humility is one of the keys to great leadership. A proud leader is in danger of having blind spots. They are convinced that they are always right. They’re sure that their way is the best. They feel like they don’t need to listen to the opinions of others.
 
A humble leader, on the other hand, is set up for success. What does humble leadership look like?

• Listening. The humble leader listens to the opinions and feedback of others. They don’t assume that their ideas are always the best.
• Asking for feedback. A humble leader asks those around him for constructive feedback.
• Admitting wrongs. Every leader makes mistakes. The best, most humble leaders admit when they’ve made mistakes.
• Respect. The truly humble leader is respectful of others. They value the insights and opinions of others and do everything they can to respect what they bring to the table.

 
Humility is fundamental to success as a leader. Leaders who are humble thrive, while leaders who are proud ultimately falter.

Leadership is not a fixed trait reserved for a select few; it is a daily practice shaped by intention, action, and character. The dynamic leader continually evolves by strengthening self-motivation, embracing accountability, leading with courage and integrity, and remaining deeply aware of the human emotions that influence every decision. True leadership is not measured by title or authority, but by the ability to inspire trust, elevate others, and turn vision into meaningful progress. When leaders commit to growth, humility, and service, they create environments where both people and purpose can thrive.

Please feel free to contact Mandy Fard at Market-Connections, if you need help with resume writing, interview coaching, or LinkedIn profile optimization.

• How to Strengthen Your Leadership Skills

​Job hunting is always tough, but the holiday season can require an even more strategic approach. These are some basic principles and concrete steps to take to make the most of the special opportunities that exist at this time of year.

​It may feel especially unpleasant to be unemployed during the holidays when the rest of the world seems to be celebrating. Be kind to yourself to manage your emotions and relieve stress while you play an active role in building a better career future.

Source: https://www.market-connections.net/blog/how-to-find-a-job-during-the-holiday-season