How To Land A Job In The Modern Times

What is the best way to gain the attention of the esteemed recruiters? Consistently dropping your CV in the company’s e-mail? Or perhaps, you can dive into the fresh trend of using social media. The latter is your best bet yet!

Through smart networking and creative strategies, you can get your dream job. Here are just some strategies to keep you busy:

1. ACE YOUR PROFILE

Treat your social media profiles as your striking headlines because potential employers will see these first. Highlight your key skills and prior experiences by adding sufficient information in the “Biography (Bio)” or “About Me” section. For instance, Facebook allows you to include your previous titles by editing the “Work and Education” tab.

Complete your profile by attaching a high-quality and professional photo.

2. USE THE PROFILE’S DIRECTORY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

If you follow the coveted company’s page on Twitter or Facebook, chances are, they are linked to the current employees and employers. Follow or send a friend request to these people and treat them as your inside source. They may post job vacancies to their feeds or walls before these vacancies are widely advertised.

During the job interview, you will have a rough insight about the company and will be able to find a common ground with the interviewer.

3. BE PROACTIVE IN THE CONVERSATIONS

Take part in the healthy discussions related to the industry or the company that you have been eyeing on. You may share an article that interests you, comment on interesting threads, or open a discussion on your profile. Engage your followers by asking stimulating questions.

Respond to these comments to get a holistic perspective about a company or an issue.

4. STAY PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES

Facebook is usually the first platform that hiring managers visit to get an idea of the “real” you. So unless you want them to know about your addiction to Laksa and Adidas sneakers, you must keep your profile professional at all times.

No matter how much you calibrate your privacy settings, your so-called friends can still screen grab your posts. Be careful what you put online! Remember that many of your future employers will be using social media to spy on you.

5. CREATE AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

Hiring managers know that Instagram is one of the main tools that younger generations use today. To look for young talents, they post ads on Instagram. Just search through the keyword “#singaporejobs” to find lots of entries!

You may create an Instagram account that focuses on your brand. Say that you want to work in Singapore’s fashion industry. Stay ahead of the crowd by showing off your unique style through regular snaps of your #OOTD. Do not forget to tag the company’s products in the picture. This is one way for them to notice your talent and to appreciate your free publicity.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Friendly reminder: Use the power of technology with caution. You do not want to get scammed or mistreated because you let your guards down. 🙂

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The Contemporary Social Media And Financial Affairs

Here is how social media platforms can blend well with your personal monetary affairs.

YOU CAN CREATE A BUSINESS REPUTATION.

Content meets entrepreneurship as modern technology allows you to craft an online business persona. Use social media platforms to reach as many consumers as you can. You are free to advertise your products or service, but be wary of oversharing. Oversharing information may cost you plenty of money.

As Robert Siciliano, the online security expert for McAfee, once said: “Online reputation management and mitigation companies are a booming business because people just can’t stop posting things they shouldn’t, which often have long-term negative effects on their personal and professional lives.”

EDUCATORS CAN SHARE ENLIGHTENING VIDEOS ABOUT MONEY.

To increase mutual engagement between the financial literacy material and the students, educators can present a video inside and outside the classroom. Video sharing websites such as YouTube allows lecturers to upload their lessons, which can easily be shared by the students. This enables the students to process the money issues at their own pace.

Turn up the kinesthetic facet up a notch by asking your students to create a video to supplement their assigments related to budgeting or managing debts. This activity will connect them more to the lessons that you are teaching.

YOU CAN USE YOUR PROFILE AS A LEVERAGE.

One of the “online rules” that you must live by is to assume that your posts are all public. This assumption will make you accountable for your actions. After all, your employer may be stalking your every virtual move.

If you despise your job or your boss, it may be tempting to rant endlessly on Facebook. Posting does not cost a cent! However, doing so could sabotage your career. Do you remember the former NTUC Assistant Director who got fired due to her racist comments on Facebook? Well, NTUC’s Membership Partnership & Alliance took immediate actions as they have zero tolerance for racism. On that note, never post anything negative or unpleasant about your previous or current employer. Always use common sense!

FINANCIAL EXPERTS CAN EASILY COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Experts provide significant financial education that will benefit you throughout your lives. This is where the power of social media comes in. Social media platforms present a tremendous opportunity to reach diverse generations, especially the Millennials. Millennials use technology to learn about their personal money matters. So, use specific hashtag such as #financialaid or #guidetobudgeting to expand the discussion to more users.

Sources: 1,  2, & 3

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How To Generate Cash Using An Instagram Account

Social media has infiltrated our lives in ways that our ancestors cannot imagine. Let us focus on one platform – the trendy Instagram (IG). Instagram offers you the opportunity to widen your income or to receive free products by posting photographs. Contrary to popular belief, earning money thru this venue is not limited to becoming an influencer.

There are many methods to capitalize on your IG presence. Here are just of them:

METHOD #1: POST REGULARLY ON INSTAGRAM

To make decent amount of money on the side while feeding your Instagram addiction, you can consider becoming an influencer. Start by treating your feed as a C.V. (Curriculum Vitae). Strategically curate your account to invite as many brands as possible. The wider your feed or portfolio is, the better.

Maintain your Instagram presence by using consistent posting schedules, pristine images, and witty captions. Andrea Chong’s account is an example of a strong local influencer. Remember that you attract the brands that match the content of your feed. For instance, you may be hired as a brand influencer for a detox tea if you exude enthusiasm toward fitness.

METHOD #2: SELL YOUR WORK

You have a knack for photography. If you have numerous quality images that companies and individuals may want to pay for, you can display it on renowned websites such as Shutterstock. Another (relatively uncommon) option is to upload your portfolio on Instagram.

Make sure to add a watermark and a detailed caption to each of your image. This will not only protect your rights, but it will also clearly direct your potential clients.

METHOD #3: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SLIDESHOWS

Do you own a budding small business? Well, you better listen up! This method allows you to establish the diverse angles of your brand using a single post. You do not have to pay for an upgrade.

Instagram has solidified its status as an efficient platform for sharing singular square-shaped photographs. Instagram did its best to sway with the dance of modern technology. It has since expanded to adding videos and time lapses. Furthermore, the Facebook-owned company introduced the slideshow feature. Users can post up to 10 pictures that will appear in one post. This move seeks to help advertisers (like you) to tell sequenced stories. Ensure that your photos follow a unified theme or filter.

METHOD #4: EMPLOY AFFILIATE MARKETING

Various websites display their partners with sidebar banners. This type of publicity is called affiliate marketing. The same principle applies when you are rolling out your affiliates over to Instagram. Affiliate marketing will enable you to receive commission for the products or services that you will promote. Use catchy hashtags and high-resolution images to drive more traffic to the affiliate code or URL.

Step up your game by mentioning the brand on your Instagram stories. Simply edit the text and type “@” followed by the brand’s username. A notification will be automatically sent to the brand’s inbox right away.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

BONUS TIP: You can promote “flash sales” by posting on your 24-hour Instagram stories!

Sources: 1,  2, & 3

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How To Handle The Toughest Online Complaints

Supporting your customers does not always make you right, but it is about making things right. You are more likely to keep your customer if your resolved a situation fully. Deal with the toughest online complaints by following these tips:

Keep It Subjective

In my experience as an Administrative Officer, email scripts were extremely helpful. I answered queries and complaints with ease as we had several fixed templates in our repertoire. However, customers get frustrated after opening a generic email where some questions were left unanswered. This is why your reply must be tailored to the problem of your customer.

A good trick to try is to “copy and paste” the entire content of your customer’s email. Break it up into workable chunks in order to address every issue. This way you will be able to ensure that you respond appropriately to every paragraph.

Not Too Late To Say Sorry

No business is spotless or perfect. Instead of concealing your flaws, it is best to own up to them. Acknowledge your mistakes and think of the potential solutions. Perhaps, you can offer a voucher or discount as compensation.

Post a sincere apology as people will be quick to realize if your apology is scripted. Show your humane side by seeking a natural tone. Translate this tone as you type your message.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Provide Peace Offering/s

As I said above, you may provide applicable compensation. It may be in the form of discounts, vouchers, coupons, refunds, free merchandise, and free classes. Do not hesitate to shower your customer with compensation after a failure in product or service.

A research showed that 58% of complaining customers who received a gift in the mail were delighted. This goes to show that your efforts will be rewarded with increased customer confidence and satisfaction.

Conversations Must Extend Offline

Polarization, the emergence of two views that drive groups apart, occur when conflicts are stirred in public. All communications on social media platforms are in the public eye. Instead of allowing negative comments to flood, deal with the issue offline. Directly communicate with the significant person face-to-face.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Doing so will prevent the situation from escalating. Stay calm, firm, and polite during the encounter.

Sources: 1 & 2

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Creative Ways To Earn Money On Snapchat And Instagram

Social media platforms have infiltrated our lives. According to the findings of the Connected Life by Kantar TNS global study, Singapore ranked third among the countries of APAC.

Third in which scale? Well, third in the usage of Instagram and Snapchat apps. Considering that Singapore’s connectivity speed is impressive, it comes as no surprise that more and more people are using these two apps.

Put your knowledge of social media into good use by earning cash on the side!

SELL YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

With the knowledge that social media allows daily access of diverse consumers, one of the most obvious methods to make money through this platform is to post an advertisement. For example, you may clean up the clutter in your closet and find the things that you deem to be unused or underused and sell them to your friends and family through Instagram. Or, you can turn your hobbies (e.g., baking cupcakes or making jewelries) into a home-based online shop.

You can either use your personal Instagram account or set up a secondary business profile. Instagram’s business profile allows you to add details (e.g., contact number and location) so that interested individuals can directly reach your brand. Interestingly, it includes a tool called “Insight” that enables you to learn more about your followers and to observe how your posts are performing.

PROMOTE FOR OTHERS

It never crossed my mind that I could be paid to share a selfie simply because I am a blogger. I once gave a “shout-out” for a humble jewelry business while rocking some of their products. No! I am far from a huge celebrity nor am I as close as the famous social media personalities. However, I have a decent amount of followers. Marketers seem to ensure people like me when it comes to promotion.

Well, it might be due to the trust placed by the consumers. According to Singaporeans aged 16 to 24, they seem to accept the information shared by the social media personalities rather than the information distributed by the brands themselves. You may take advantage of this ideal by selling your selfies and shout-outs in Instagram and Snapchat (considering that you have a relatively huge following).

For instance, you can feature the songs of rising artists on your Snapchat live stories. Keep in mind that the stories are no longer auto-advanced, which is why you must maintain the interest of your audience.

EMPLOY AFFILIATE MARKETING

How often have you seen websites with sidebar banners that publicize their partners and other affiliates? This is called affiliate marketing. The same principle applies when you are rolling it over to Instagram. You use affiliate marketing to receive cash for the sales of the products or services that you promoted. Use catchy taglines and vibrant HD photographs to drive more sales through an affiliate code or a URL (i.e., to be attached in your profile bio).

SELL YOUR ACCOUNT

If you are ready to quit your social media addiction, consider selling your account along with the audience that you carefully built. Your hard work will not put to waste as budding businesses and other individuals are interested in managing an established account.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Simply wipe out your sensitive information as well as all your uploads before handing it out to the new owner.

Sources:  1, 2, 3

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