From Acclaimed Recording Artist to Top Flight Recruiter Erik Simins Hits All the Right Notes When it Comes to Career Success Building Your Future Now

From Acclaimed Recording Artist to Top Flight Recruiter Erik Simins Hits All the Right Notes When it Comes to Career Success Building Your Future Now Erik Simins has built a career on an ability to learn, persevere and succeed. He has been a top tier sales professional in the pharmaceutical sector, a popular singer/song writer, a top-billing recruiter and a serial entrepreneur. The underlying success has been Simins focus on achieving his goals despite many harah lessons he has faced being in several ultra competitive industries such as recruitment and music. However, before becoming the CEO of his own recruitment firm, Simins was an entertainer gaining momentum with his smooth vocals, charismatic style and strong song writing ability. He was initially given a nudge by an instructor to pursue music professional but it wasnt until a chance encounter with a local producer that things started falling into place One night I was at the gym, it was right before close so no one was there. I was singing because the acoustics were amazing and out pops a man from around the corner and asked me if I was singing. Simins notes. We producer and owned a record company. I eventually went into the studio with him and that was my introduction to the world of studio recording. Erik Simins on the set of the Parents House music video Although Simins first recording experience wasnt a memorable one, he nevertheless used it as an opportunity to pursue his love for singing and songwriting. Although he started to gain momentum, Simins still worked as a successful sales professional in the pharmaceutical sector. And despite his sales success and earning a degree in Kinesiology, his desire to launch into a career in music eventually was just too great. I ended up meeting more people during the process and digging deeper in the industry. I eventually got paired up with Adam Messinger. He was probably the most talented producer in our country. I was very lucky to catch him before he headed down to the States. Simins explains, He has won a grammy and written for superstars like Christina Aguilera and Justin Bieber. Simins ended up recording a well-received debut album called Do Not Disturb yielding several radio hits including Parents House. But as Simins continued deeper into his music career he realized it was something he wasnt fully committed to. The music industry certainly isnt for everyone. I have an addictive personality. I went all-in in all elements in the industry and it really beat me up. I realized I couldnt do this in a sustained amount of time. Simins continues, And when I was out gigging there were guys that were like 10 to 15 years my senior that were making 100 or 200 dollars a night. And before I got into music I was making six figures in the pharmaseutial industry. I realized I couldnt do this forever. I dont love it enough. It was at that point Simins decided it was time to move on and get back into sales. He connected with several recruiters in order to help him get a position. Three out of four recruiment firms I worked with said I had the science background and the selling skills to do well as a recruiter. At first I wasnt too interested in it, but then they showed me their pay cheques; I thought to myself I can do this and do really well. Thats when I decided to go into recrutiment instead of medical sales. Erik Simins with his MAGNUS team Simins exceptional people skills and solid sales ability quickly made him one of the standouts at the recruitment firm. I worked for one recruitment firm for 5 years and I always wanted to be partners. I was always ambitious. There were a couple of things they asked me to do and I did them and then some. I achieved a lot at that firm like billing $100,000 in one month and I was top billing recruiter for 3 years. I did everything they asked in order to be a partner. Simins notes, And when it was time they asked me to put a business plan together for us. It took me a couple of months and the plan was for me to create any entirely new division at the firm. It was a really good deal for them and they are probably still kicking themselves for not taking it. At that point I decided to start my Magmus Personnel. Simins quickly grew his new company into a market player in recruitment. He explains, You see a vision and until that vision is realized nothing stops you from getting there. And in our second year we did $2 million and grew new offices. Erik Simins with investors in Toyko With his company thriving, Simins did what any entrepreneur would do: he started a new venture. So in 2017 he hired a replacement CEO for MAGNUS and started a new company called BlockAble. The company was focused on blockchain and cryptocurrency. When we did the first rise of the capital to fund the company we had 5 asks and we got 4 yeses. It was an incredibly easy time to raise money if you had a Blockchain application. And the market at that time was insane. People were raising money for things that didnt exist. So there were a lot of scammers out there, but we were a legimate business and we went to market. What a ride that was! We raised about a million in capital and went out to raise more. I think I did 9 countries in about 3 months. I travelled to Toyko. Singapore. Puerto Rico. All over the US. Dubai. All over the Middle East to raise money for our utility token. However by February 2018 there was a clamp down in the ability to raise capital and Simins company ended giving back some of that money back that they had raised. I learned a lot about raising that type of capital however we needed a business model that was going to appease existing commercial enterprise clients. Simins continues, We pivoted our business and changed our technologywe went into a more commerical/business application centric model and we have been building on that for the last year or so. Erik Simins at Conference Media Night in 2018 The technology that Simins company deals gives it a way to verify a resumes information and to keep in secure in order to avoid any tempering. Our goal over time has been to make this the new gold standard in respect to what a resume has on it. A resume now is just has self-proclaimed information and there is no verification of that information. And this technology provides another level of verification and authencity on the resume. Now the claims and background are all verified and is avaiable to the employers through our secure portal. Simins diverse career has now spanned several decades. He has always been a high sales performer and brought that competitive fire to the music game. He continues to turn the recruitment industry on its head with his out-of-the-box concepts. As Simins explains, You have to develop new skills during the entire process in running and building a business. You have to have a real thirst for learning and a real passion to continue to improve yourself. I have always been a proponent of throwing yourself into the fire and getting burned. Simins notes, Its then just scrapping off the chard and moving forward. I can tell you there are easier ways to go through life, but I have always chosen the paths that I believe will make me stronger and seasonedand they have all led to opportunities beyond my wildest dreams. Erik Simins is CEO and founder of MAGNUS Personnel, as well as BlockAble. You can reach him through his website at: magnuspersonnel.com Images courtesy of Erik Simins

10 Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Profile

10 Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Profile A LinkedIn profile isnt just any old resume, its a place to showcase your best assets and successes. But with  half a billion users on LinkedIn, theres stiff competition! A great LinkedIn profile can help you have more success in your job, whether its being seen by a potential client, partner, investor or even employer. Perhaps your profile isnt perfect though and could do with a few tweaks to help take it to on its way? Last year at Link Humans we published a guide on How to Build the Perfect LinkedIn Profile which was a huge success! This year weve teamed up with the good folks at LinkedIn to bring you 10 Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Profile the latest facts and figures with an updated guide to the perfect LinkedIn profile. Heres a summary of the tips and stats from the guide: Be active LinkedIns newest feature is the ability to publish posts. Not everyone has been given this opportunity yet but it will be rolled out to everyone in 2014. As this feature starts to become ever more popular it could really help to get you noticed as a pro-active LinkedIn user. Its still important to join and be active in groups. Not only will this look good for potential employers or clients searching for you but will actually mean your profile is 5 times more likely to be viewed. The devil is in the detail Be sure your LinkedIn profile is completely up to date with as much information as possible. For example, your profile is 15 times more likely to be viewed by adding the industry you work in and 10 times more likely to be viewed if you add your education. Remember! A summary of 40 words or more makes you more likely to turn up in a future employers search! Be visual Make your profile stand out by adding rich media (videos, slides etc). Even just adding a profile photo could result in 14 times more profile views than someone without! Groups It’s still important to join and be active in groups. Not only will this look good for potential employers or clients searching for you but will actually mean your profile is 5 times more likely to be viewed. Volunteering Lacking in formal experience? Don’t despair! 42% of hiring managers surveyed by LinkedIn said they view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience. For job seekers Lacking in formal experience? Dont despair! 42% of hiring managers surveyed by LinkedIn said they view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience. Its important to showcase what skills you have, members who add skills get around 13 times more profile views. Did you know you can now reorder your skills and place more important ones at the top? How would you build the perfect LinkedIn profile? Wed love to hear your comments below!

Three Little Words You Should Learn To Use

Three Little Words You Should Learn To Use The memory is still vivid.  I was newly separated and living in a very modest apartment with my daughter.  My income was solely from working a swing shift job,  and it wasn’t even enough to meet our essential monthly expenses. I looked around at the little place we called home.  While I was grateful to have escaped the abusive relationship I’d been in, this was a no-frills existence.  The front room had a donated sofa bed, worn and covered with a blanket.  Our eating area consisted of a folding card table so wobbly that spills were frequent.  And in my bedroom was a twin size mattress laid on top of cardboard apple boxes as a base.  There was no dresser.  What would normally have been in a drawer was placed on the upper shelf in the closet.  Yes, I looked around. And said, “oh, hell no.  This is NOT what my life is going to look like.”  Those three  words have been my personal mantra since that moment. DETERMINATION, X 10 In the following weeks and months, I began to build my first real business.  My daughter and I started by posting ads â€" hand written cards â€" on area bulletin boards.   My first paying customer was for a job much bigger than I’d dreamed, but I took a deep breath and took it on.  The rest, as they say, is history. Over the course of a few years, the business grew and evolved to one that supported myself and a full-time crew.  Not big business, but it provided a very good living for all of us, and it was my creation. KNOCKED DOWN:  AN OPPORTUNITY TO RISE AGAIN I’m sure you remember 2008.  The year the Great Recession hit.  Just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  Within 60 days, I’d lost two healthy streams of income.  Property values, as you know, tanked beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.  Before the dust settled, I’d lost about 80% of my net worth, a nest egg that was critical to a secure future. As I looked at where I was, and at the years ahead, once again I said “oh, hell no.”  As my mother would say, it was time to roll up my pant legs, wade into it, and get to work.  Time to  get back up  and make it happen.  There were plenty of very long days. But through sheer gut-level determination I earned most of what I’d lost back in just six years. Whether we’re entrepreneurs or have positions as employees, we all have these times of trial in our life.  They’re the times that test us.  That take us down to our knees.  That’s when we get to decide what we’re made of.  That’s when we are truly at choice.  To accept defeat, and wither. Or  remember that we’re strong enough to meet any challenge.  And in defiance to our momentary conditions, say “oh, hell no!” This post was originally authored by Linda Allen and   published as a guest post on SheOwnsIt. Image credits:  Main.  My Way.    Life.  

How to deal with imposter syndrome as a PhD

How to deal with imposter syndrome as a PhD People move jobs more and more nowadays, often into new fields, disciplines and roles. Our job titles may reflect this or they may not â€" I moved straight into my last role as “Senior Careers Consultant” â€" scary! As a PhD you may be moving into one of the most rarefied of atmospheres. A place where success is measured by your ability to search out new knowledge, argue your case, get stuff published, raise your profile, be good quickly. And all this in a team where your supervisor may be a world authority in your subject area and the surrounding post-docs may be up to speed on techniques, theories, how the team works. So it is not surprising that you may experience a form of what it known as Imposter Syndrome the feeling that you will be found out at some point for not really belonging, not really being up to the task. This is something I have suffered from through careers in medicine, teaching, management and now careers work. The feeling that I dont know enough, that I am surrounded by people who are much better suited to this career, more driven, more competent. The good news is that if you feel this way, you are not alone. A 2011 study by the International Journal of Behavioural Science found that 70% of us share this feeling at some point and that young people are more at risk due to advances in technology and particularly the tendency to compare themselves to others on social media. I am not a PhD and doubt I ever will be â€" research is something I engage in reluctantly. But I regularly meet PhDs who struggle in the early stages of their research to fit in and then lose sight of their talents and skills in the later stages. So how can you ensure that you ride out the early stages, when things are new and uncertain and learn to thrive on that newness? And how can you find ways to recognise your talents, strengths and achievements, even when you hit a brick wall with your project? 1. Talk to people about how you are feeling Other PhDs, Post-Docs, friends, families and yes….your Supervisor. They will often help you to recognise that we all feel this way……I have met those in my own field who I looked up to as “Careers Gods” who still feel like imposters some of the time. These conversations can dispel the ravings of your “internal critique” and confirm that you are doing “OK or better”. 2. Become your own cheerleader Find ways to recognise your achievements. Some way to regularly note down progress, achievements, things you are proud of, can help to develop resilience and reduce stress. Make a regular time to do this. 3. Learn to accept failure, mistakes and “constructive feedback” (let’s face it, it often feels like criticism) as a learning experience. If you do feel totally despondent when someone critiques what you are doing, think about why you are reacting this way, what impact it has on you. By welcoming mistakes and criticism and being curious about it, you can avoid the emotional cost of that despondency. 4. Recognise success and mastery takes time In his book “Outliers”, journalist Malcolm Gladwell refers to how in some walks of life it takes 10,000 hours of practice to attain mastery. So you may need to exercise patience and think about whether your expectations of rapid success are realistic. I tried at least five careers before settling for my current vocation, perhaps because I failed to grasp that “expertise” takes time. 5. Be honest about what you don’t know (and need help with) I have found that expressions such as “I have no idea about that….”, “It might be a good idea if you go over that for me” have been great friends and allies in my battle with Imposter Syndrome. Of course you should use these phrases sparingly and be confident in what you do know and think. But honesty takes the pressure off and allows you to move on with what you do best â€" creating new knowledge, approaches and understanding. 6. Attend a “Dealing with Imposter Syndrome Workshop” These are offered through Warwick’s RSSP programme. I will leave you with a quote: It’s not who you think you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. (Dennis Waitely, Author and Lecturer.)

#46 - A Day in the Life of an Audio Engineer with Michael Ehmcke

#46 - A Day in the Life of an Audio Engineer with Michael Ehmcke The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSFor Episode 046of The CareerMetis Podcast, we will learn about : A Day in the Life of anAudio Engineer.Our guest Michael Ehmckeshares his experiences on how he went about becomingan Audio Engineer.evalMichael Ehmcke has been in the entertainment industry for 31 years. After seeing Star Wars, he become obsessed with audio and sound. In high school he got involved with a professional production and learned audio from the audio engineers.He became a DJ and learned about the gear involved. He went to college for lighting, but his work study was in audio lab, where he took on projects for seniors. He found a school in Orlando Florida called Full Sail, and he graduated from their program to become a full scale audio engineer. He currently works as an audio Engineer for Walt Disney World.Episode Summary:eval1. Michael gives a bit of detail into his role as an audio engineer. He explains th e job, and what he does.2. He shares his story about how he found the job and became an audio engineer.3. Michael describes his day to day life within his career. He explains the intricacies of his work, and his role in the productions that he’s a part of, including lighting, stage setup and audio.4. Michael tells Nissar about the parts of his job he enjoys the most, and he shares some of the challenges that come along with his line of work.5. He talks about certifications, education, and how someone can get started in audio engineering.Quotes“We’re usually behind the scenes people for any production that you see on TV, or on theater, live concerts, even sporting events.”eval“I had some goals before I graduated high school, and maybe those goals never laid out, but I’m successful in other ways and happy with the goals I have now.”“Knowing that I helped the band shaped the sound that’s going out to the guest, it’s exhilarating”“Anything can happen during a liv e situation”“Education doesn’t stop once you get there. You’re always learning something new”evalIntro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" Siren KickbackEnding Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" No Need to Rush

Why Look For A Job When You Can Make The Jobs Come To You - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Why Look For A Job When You Can Make The Jobs Come To You Wouldn’t it be great if all the job offers came to you? This is now possible â€" many companies are now approaching applicants rather than solely relying on applicants to approach them. This allows companies to source the best talent for their needs. Of course, getting employers to approach you isn’t easy â€" there’s no lazy way of getting a job. Here are just some measures that you can take that could help to make you a magnet for recruiters and help you to find your next career. Polish up your LinkedIn profile Having a LinkedIn account could help you to get a job. This social media site allows you to create a profile that serves as a public resume, detailing all the previous jobs and education you’ve had. Whilst LinkedIn is mainly used for networking, many employers also use it to find and contact potential applicants. Build a winning LinkedIn profile and you could start to receive job offers. You can create a successful profile by networking with lots of people and getting them to endorse skills â€" this will show employers that other people believe in your abilities. Sign up to a headhunting agency It could be worth signing up with an agency such as these headhunters at Eagle. These agencies are hired by employers to find the best talent out there â€" such companies encourage jobseekers to sign up to a database so that they can then search this database for the right candidate. Getting a headhunter to choose you involves having a well-written CV and portfolio. Many agencies will allow you to specify the types of jobs that you’re after so that you only get offers for jobs that you really want. Create an advert It’s possible to advertise yourself to employers rather than relying on employers advertising themselves to you. Many jobseekers do this on sites like Gumtree as well as on local Facebook groups. You could also print off a flyer and stick it to a public noticeboard telling employers that you’re looking for a job. Such ‘hire me’ adverts can be very effective when done professionally, however they are best reserved for those that aren’t in an existing job â€" you don’t want a current employer to see this ad, as you could be forced to leave your job sooner than you’d hoped. Network with the right people You can also get a job by knowing the right people. By socialising with people within your trade you may get to hear of job vacancies that have opened up and you may even be able to convince certain people to put in a good word for you to help you get the job. It’s possible to even make friends with an employer who may even be convinced into hiring you. Conferences, trade fairs and seminars are the best places to meet these people.

How to Write a Compelling Personal Statement For Your Resume - CareerEnlightenment.com

How to Write a Compelling Personal Statement For Your Resume The personal statement section is one of the more critical parts of your resume and as such merits close attention.It needs to convey relevant information (who you are, specific skills and applicable experience, career objectives) concisely and in a professional manner. It is also your first opportunity to make a strong positive impression on the hiring manager. As such, this is one of those sections that should be particularly targeted to the job ad you’re responding to.A targeted personal statement references the specific and relevant skills, qualifications or experience that were detailed in the job description. It is not good enough to use a generalized personal statement as you run the risk of offering an average job application. Each statement should be tweaked to reflect the skills and attributes your prospective employer is looking for.Your personal statement tells your storyWriting a concise personal statement can be overwhelming. You have to ensure you come across profes sional and intelligent and prove you are the right person for the job.Much depends on this initial introduction. You also have to work within certain parameters such as a limited word count. Yet there is a great reward for a well-written personal statement. Here’s how to do it:Your opening should be strong and clearGet straight to the facts: who you are and the years of experience you have relevant to the position. You have the choice of writing in either the first or third person, just be consistent throughout your summary.Example: I am a recent marketing graduate with 3 years’ experience assisting with clients’ social media campaigns for a marketing consultancy agency. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Emphasize the strength of your candidacy with proofFollowing your introduction should be an overview of desired skills and key achievements that strengthen your application and showcase you as a suitable candidate.Be careful of using clichéd language, overused buzzwords such as ‘dynamic’ or ‘extensive experience’ or presenting vague information. Ensure that you don’t just list the sought-after skills but provide evidence such as results achieved, or awards received.Example: In my role as a marketing assistant at Dynamic Media, my analytical skills were put to good use in using metric tools such as Google Analytics to manage the improvement of web traffic. I achieved a decrease in the expenditure of seven clients’ social media marketing campaigns by as much as 20%.What are your future career goals?By providing the HR manager with an idea of what goals you want to achieve career-wise you can demonstrate your motivation to succeed in the advertised role.Example:I am looking for a career-building opportunity that will allow me to further develop my marketing skills for a future in marketing management.Top tips to craft the perfect attention-grabbing personal statementOnce you have drafted your personal statement according to the structure suggested above, review and edit numerous times as necessary until it reads faultlessly. Here are some top tips to keep in mind:Keep your personal statement between 150-200 words.Avoid presenting information in one dense paragraph. Use reader-friendly techniques such as short paragraphs and subheads.Include strong action words such as ‘initiated’ ‘established’ ‘led’ ‘devised’ to strengthen your writing. Other words to use if relevant are: ‘outperformed’, ‘increased’ ‘decreased’ ‘reduced’ ‘coordinated’ and ‘awarded’.Remember common grammar rules when using proper and common nouns. Names of organizations and job titles are proper nouns and require a capital letter.Paying attention to detail is critical in a successful job application. Start wi th a compelling personal statement that is tailored to each job ad you’re responding to. Proofread your personal statement to ensure there is consistency, it is error-free and conveys a high level of professionalism. You then present a convincing argument that you’re an engaging candidate who has a high level of interest in securing the position and serving the company’s interests.