Your career will be a lot less complicated if you recognize what worked and what didn't, and apply that knowledge to what is coming . It will make you much more capable, knowledgeable, and powerful with each passing day. Chances are very high that you will evolve into a very successful and capable person.
 
However, most people fail to use their experiences to their advantage. They avoid failure and examining those times they do fail. Success is seen as a time for celebrating, not learning. But this is a great mistake. The rules of life are revealed to you each day.

​Imagine if you learned from every mistake and every success. What if you never repeated a mistake and made the most of your successes? How would your life change in a year? In 10 years? The results could be astounding!

1. Examine your past. Think back on your life and make a list of all your greatest successes and failures. Consider your work, educational, and relationship experiences. Think about those times you made plans and came up short or experienced considerable success.
   
   
   • Consider why you were successful. What made you successful?
     
     
   • Consider why you failed. What can you learn from that that you can apply to the future?
     
     
2. Determine your purpose for the day. Successes and failures are often the result of little successes and failures each day. Setting a standard for the day provides a benchmark for determining your success that day.
   
   
3. Determine your long-term goals. You need long-term goals to measure your successes and failures against. Long-term goals also allow you to plan your day more effectively.
   
   
4. Review your day. At the end of the day, review how well you stuck to your plan. What did you succeed at today? What did you fail at? What were the factors that led to those successes and failures?
   
   
5. Determine ways to improve. After reviewing your day, what changes do you want to make for tomorrow?
   
   
   • How can you be better tomorrow than you were today?
     
     
   • What can you do tomorrow that will make you 1% better than you were today?
     
     
   • Make a new plan for tomorrow that includes the lessons that you identified today.
     
     
6. Test your hypotheses. Spend a day executing your new plan. Did you have a better day? What were your failures today? What were your successes? What can you do to have an even better day tomorrow?
   
   
7. Ask friends and family for help. Ask your friends and family to help you identify why you’ve been successful or unsuccessful in the past. What are the ideas you hear over and over? How can you apply this information to your life?
   
   
8. Keep a journal. A journal can be a great tool for making the most of your successes and failures. It’s natural to write about your successes and failures in your journal. You’ll learn things from your past and your present that can be applied to your future.

 
Are you more or less successful than you were five years ago? The most common answer is, “About the same.” But this is a tragic response. In the last five years, you’ve had the opportunity to learn from each day. You could have improved by a small amount each day and be much more effective today than you were then.
 
Each day provides you with information that can be used to enhance your approach to life. Leverage your successes and failures to become the most successful version of yourself.

On LinkedIn, your posts and connections are the main ways to get noticed on the professional social media platform. However, LinkedIn recently unveiled three new features on its website that can help you enjoy more relevance on the platform.
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Following the introduction of this new feature, LinkedIn users can now filter search results based on the location of the service provider. LinkedIn advises users to enable the “showcase services you offer” option on their profile to be visible in searches and to also highlight such services as open for business. Additionally, you can also indicate where exactly you offer these services and if you are willing to work remotely. LinkedIn is promoting this feature as another way for freelancers and businesses to get new clients.
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LinkedIn is introducing a new feature called a “Skill Assessment” feature. This feature allows users to take a test in a particular skill and earn a badge if they prove their proficiency. The test is usually comprised of 15-20 questions based on the skill being tested, and questions have to be answered in a specific time.

Currently, there is a limited list of skills that users can earn badges in, and most of them are based on popular business software like Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project. Users can also get proficiency badges in AutoCAD, JavaScript, AWS, C++, XML, Hadoop, Ruby, AWS, HTML, and the likes. LinkedIn has indicated a willingness to expand this list in the future.
Note that not all LinkedIn users can access the Skill Assessment feature yet.
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Promoting events throught the Event Feature can be a practical method of fostering communication in your network. For instance, you can use the event feed to communicate with attendees, and also ask attendees to connect with you on LinkedIn.
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Again, attendees to your event can now send invitations (if granted access) which can grow your network. Any user can join events, but not all users can create one yet.

The three new features being added to LinkedIn Pages are geared at fostering stronger relationships amongst followers and increasing community engagement.

According to the professional social media platform, more than 50 million companies now use Pages globally, and LinkedIn will regularly update features quarterly.

Some of the most recent updates include “LinkedIn Live” integration, “Invite To Follow”, and new “posting options”.​

​To enhance the growth of their following, Page managers can invite top profile connections to follow their Page. Moreover, users that would not like to receive such invites can opt-out from them.​

​Previously reserved for only personal profiles, LinkedIn Pages can now enjoy the live broadcast and streaming feature. LinkedIn believes that this feature can generate more than 24X more comments and 7X more reactions than conventional video posts. To enable this feature, Page managers will need to request access to use this feature via the LinkedIn Live website.

Users can now use a toggle switch on their Home page to switch between posting content as an organization or individual. In the past, users had to separately access their Page to publish under it. Currently, users can manage and publish posts from the same dashboard.

A government job is always a great addition to your resume and your career. The government offers a large variety of career options including thousands of jobs. In fact, the government is one of the largest employers nationwide.

The list below can help you navigate through various available opportunities within the government. Some of these sites have job listings, others help with guidance. They provide information about jobs or job searching within The United States government.

Government Jobs; Government Work; Government Employment; Politics jobs; Federal Government Jobs; US Government Jobs; DC Government Jobs.
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I have been writing resumes for a very long time and I have spoken to many people about their professional background and potential. Of ccurse, no two people are ever the same. What I have noticed is that when talking about resume writing services, EVERYONE has two questions at first:
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• 1. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO WRITE A RESUME? 
• 2. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WRITE A RESUME? 

From there, the following questions vary depending on each individual.  But the first two questions have always remained the same.

​There are certain rights you have as a parent that are protected by law.
 
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 is the principal law that describes the rights that parents have with regards to their employment. In essence, it requires qualifying employers to provide unpaid leave for medical and family reasons. The employee's job is protected during the leave.
 
Prior to this law, the rules surrounding leave for medical and family issues were up to the employers. As an employee, your leave could be denied for any reason and you could even be fired for taking leave. There was no employment law requiring that employees within the same company had to be treated equally and uniformly.
 
Let's take a look at the benefits afforded under the law and the qualifications that must be met.

1.  Up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year for the following situations:

• To care for a new child or for the adoption or placement of a child in foster care.
  
  
• To care for a seriously ill family member. A family member is considered to be a spouse, son, daughter, or parent. Some states also include domestic partners. Check your state.
  
  
• To recover from your own serious illness.
  
  
• To care for an injured family service member or to deal with issues resulting from his or her deployment.
  
  
• Some states include other situations, such as organ or bone marrow donation, or caring for a non-seriously sick child.

 
2. Other benefits:

• Employers must provide the same health insurance benefits, including the employer's premium contribution, as if the employee were not on leave.
  
  
• Employers must provide the same position upon return to work. If the same position is not available, a similar position must be provided. It must be similar in pay, benefits, and responsibility.
  
  
• Protection from retaliation by the employer for utilizing the Family and Medical Leave Act. 

​To qualify for the benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act, certain conditions must be met.
 
1. Employer. You must be employed by an employer with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius of the workplace, or be employed by a public agency; this would include schools, federal, state, and local employers.
 

• Some states have taken the law further and lowered the threshold to less than 50 employees. Become familiar with the laws in your state.
  
  

2. Length of employment. You must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours within the last 12 months. The 12-month employment criterion does not have to be a consecutive 12 months.

​Many people are under the impression that they are still paid while taking leave under this act. But it is not required that your employer continue to pay you. Some companies will continue to pay your salary, but that is the exception and not the rule.
 
While it is against the law to punish those that make use of the Family and Medical Leave Act, it is not uncommon for many employers to frown upon those that take family or medical leave. It can be difficult to prove that you didn't receive a promotion or pay raise because you took a leave of absence.
 
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allows for you to care for a new child or a sick child without fear of losing your job. The same job, or a comparable job, will be available when you return to work. Benefits are preserved and retaliation of any kind is illegal.
 
Be sure you are aware of your rights so you can care for your loved ones with confidence, knowing that you can still return to your job.

People management is an important skill to have. Whether you are currently in charge or not, or even employed or not, enhancing this skill can have a significant impact on your career.
 
Every year on January 24th we observe National Compliment Day because we recognize the importance of praise and compliments. A good manager always remembers to recognize the staff because a compliment can be a powerful tool. Whether you are at the giving or the receiving end, timely praise can elevate people’s confidence and have a direct impact on employee retention. It’s just an all-around win-win act. You have nothing to lose by making someone smile. Who knows how far your positive vibe can go? Spread the praise or gratitude and let it take its course.
 
In case if you believe your people management skills are not strong, you can improve by learning a few psychology techniques and implementing this knowledge in your career. We all inherently share the same basic needs and desires. When you help others meet their need, they tend to respond in a warmer and more receptive manner. With a bit of practice, patience, and a keenness to understand others, you can also develop excellent people management skills.
 
Below are seven crucial qualities that can improve your people management skills:

1.  Empathize with others. If you had that manager position, would you behave any differently? Great managers are good at reading the emotions and thoughts of others. They instantly pick up on creeping issues and work tirelessly to solve problems amongst feuding members. Ask yourself if you’re open to doing the same if you had that role.
 
2.  Be generous with gratitude and appreciation. You may feel thankful to members of your team, but if you never say it or express it, they will never know for sure. So, eschew any iota of doubt and look for newer and better ways to express these emotions when you feel them.

• Never forget to say “Thank you” when others lend you a helping hand. Most people love a sincere appreciation, and a little “Thank you” can go a long way. Also, people tend to be more open to the idea of providing support when they know that you would appreciate it in the end.
•  Go one step further and do extraordinary things for those that you know will appreciate the gesture.  

3.  Don’t hoard genuine compliments. Regularly look for areas where your team has excelled recently and sincerely compliment them for it. As long as it’s sincere, the recipients will sense it and will appreciate your compliment even more.
 
4.  Treat others with respect. Regardless of their status or stance in life, aim to always treat everybody you encounter with respect. Treat them the same way you would like to be treated. This is a true demonstration of strength and character, two essential qualities that epitomizes a person with great people skills.
 
5.  Delegate correctly. Assign tasks according to skill and competency. Once people understand their roles and are put in the right position, they will all get the chance to excel at what they know how to do best. This way, the team will be much more productive and team members will be motivated to do even more.
 
6.  Be Honest, always. Honesty is still the best policy. Once people get hold of a lie you told, your whole integrity and trustworthiness as a person will come under scrutiny. Earning and keeping the trust of others is a vital leadership skill. When others trust you, they will also believe in you, and all your deeds, opinions and goodwill will mean much more to them.
 
7.  Be a Great Listener. It’s often said that it is easier to talk and harder to listen and that listening is half the conversation. Genuinely listen to others when they approach you. Regardless of whether you agree with what they are saying or not, make it a point to carefully listen and attempt to rationalize their position. Once people know that you’ll give them a listening ear, they would be more open to approaching you.

Make it a habit to implement these seven strategies into your dealings and interactions with others and it won’t take long for you to discover that people will be more open to following your lead and accepting your ideas.

Are you passionate about your work? Do you identify your profession as your dream career? It can be much easier to be successful financially and professionally if you can combine your passions and your work. Most of us play it safe and choose a career or create a business based largely on practicality. After all, it’s easier to find a job as an accountant than as an artist.

But it’s possible to have both. What is noteworthy is that many people aren't sure of how to identify their passion. One of the many ways to identify your passion is to monitor how you spend your free time and what your core values are. 
 
Your answers to these questions will help you discover your passions:

1.   Know why you want that career change. Obviously, you’re struggling to find fulfillment in your current career, but why is that? Regular long hours? Unsatisfying? Are you being underpaid for your level? Knowing the exact reason(s) why you want to switch careers will help you avoid the same problems in your next career.

• Avoid taking the slightest opportunity to quit a career. Make an informed decision about your future and then plan accordingly.

 
2.   Be conscious of what you want. According to research, people tend to generally like their work. For the most part, the actual job isn’t very important. Instead, the license to be innovative, assisting others and autonomy are some of the major factors. There are several careers out there that can offer you these possibilities.

• Don’t give in to the misconception that you must land your dream job. There are multiple opportunities out there that would tick all the boxes.

 
3.   Have big but realistic ambitions. Depending on your background and age, the time for becoming a professional trapeze artist or a ballerina may be long gone. You must realize that not every dream career is attainable.

• Having unrealistic ambitions may leave you frustrated and can stifle progress.

 
4.   Identify the education and skills needed for your new career. Do you need a new certification? Degree? IT skills? Public speaking skills? What do you need to make this change a reality? Start to develop and gather the necessary skills or education as soon as possible.
 
5.   Don't quit current job until you secure a new one. This may not be very convenient, but if possible, avoid quitting your current job until you have a new job. You will be amazed at how fast a savings account can run dry when you aren’t making money.

• If you’ve been abruptly laid-off, consider taking a job in the short-term until your career transition is successful. Also, a job related to your new career would be perfect.

 
6.   Anticipate the possibility of starting from scratch. You may currently be managing a department at a Fortune 500 company, but your first role as a computer programmer may put you in a shared office space, working with other interns on low-profile projects. The bigger the switch, the likelier it is that you’ll have to begin from the bottom of the ladder. You will have to step out of your comfort zone.
 
7.   Establish relationships and contacts in your desired field as soon as possible. Do you have any connections in your potential career? Can you offer to volunteer or start as an intern? Is there a part-time position that you can apply for to learn the ropes? Given today’s digital media tools, it isn’t very difficult to connect with people and with a bit of effort, you should soon revive your network or build a new network by connecting with recruiters and hiring managers.
 
Don’t take the decision to switch careers lightly. Think it through. Usually, you will only get one shot at changing careers! Identify what your present career is missing and settle for a career that satisfies all your needs. Keep in mind that your new career may mean that you have to initially start from scratch. But if you’re making the right choice, that possibility may be very rewarding.

​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 performed better at solving problems at work and were 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 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.: 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 positon, add a hobbies section to your resume. Include it only when it appears relevant.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. Create side income. Some people turn their hobbies into full time jobs. Starting off gradually is a good way to test your earning potential while you hold onto your current paycheck.
   
   
6. 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 hair stylists 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.

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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 to 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.
   

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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 opening 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.
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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 own 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.