adictoaloshombres: Boards

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If you are like most job seekers, you have registered your resume on the major online job boards such as Career Builder, Monster, TheLadders.com, Headhunter, etc. But are you aware of the plethora of good information and job search tools that are available on these sites in addition to job listings?

Take CareerBuilder.com for example. The main navigation pages at Career Builder are “Home”, “Find Jobs”, “Post Resumes”, “Job Alerts”, “My Career Builder”, “Advice and Resources”, and “Career Fairs”. Most online job hunters typically will use the Find Jobs and Post Resumes pages. About half might sign up for Job Alerts. Career Builder offers two sections that could be the most valuable sections to job seekers but not all visitors will read them. Those sections on Career Builder are “Advice and Resources” and “Career Fairs”.

Of particular interest on CareerBuilder.com is the “Advice and Resources” section. In this section, Career Builder has ten different sections on various subjects from continuing education to resume services to financial advice. At the top of the page, Career Builder highlights four articles of special interest to job seekers. These articles rotate on a regular basis so the visitor should check back often to see new articles and to read past articles that are listed in their appropriate headings by Career Builder.

At the very bottom of the Career Builder Advice page, there are seven different sections that are collections of articles on job hunting, business opportunities, and education that have been written by experts. In the career advice section at the bottom of the page, there is an option to watch various videos of career experts talking about different aspects of job search. This option also appears on Career Builders’ home page. This is a new feature by Career Builder that actually allows the job seeker to watch a short instructional video on various topics.

All total, Career Builder.com has more than 200 articles covering various job search and employment topics on these pages. Career Builder has built a wonderful resource area of which many job seekers do not take advantage. The next time you visit the site, read more than just the job listings. Take time to read the excellent information that Career Builder has gathered in one place for your benefit!

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Advisory Boards, Strategy, Growth Strategies, Strategic Planning, Executive Coaching, Valuation,

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Customer Advisory Boards are a great source of information about your market and your business. Their advice is more valuable than any management consultant's. They provide real world counsel on what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong, and most important -how to stay competitive. After all, they're the customer. They're the one's who buy your stuff. Here's how to use your Customer Advisory Board for best results.

1. Make it win-win.
As much as they might like to, your customers are probably too busy to be on your board as a favor. Let them know, if they haven't figured it out already, that participating on your board influences your organization to provide better product and service to theirs.

2. Choose the right members for the right reasons.
Select your board members for qualities and values they bring. Benefit from their insight, perceptions, motivations, and ability to communicate - perhaps even their contrarian view. Avoid figureheads picked for their visibility or high positions - they are likely to skip meetings, and when they show they'll have little to contribute.

3. Prepare your members.
Apprise members ahead of time of agenda items and provide detailed backgrounders. Prompt their thinking with questions for their consideration. When germane, ask selected advisors to prepare briefings.

4. Don't sell to the group.
Use your advisory board for their advice. Customers will see through transparent plans to generate more sales. Increased sales will happen anyway - don't prompt for them.

5. Your board members are special. Treat them that way.
Provide them with quality transportation, hotels, meals, refreshments, and meeting space. Make them feel highly appreciated without the sense you are wasting company money. Have your CEO or outside owners participate whenever appropriate. Acknowledge them publicly and often, and especially in print.

6. Reward their participation.
They are giving you their time and knowledge gained from experience. What are you giving them? Dinner and theatre or sports tickets, spouse travel, club memberships, small gifts, and product or service discounts are all appropriate.

7. Fewer meetings the better.
Keep the meetings to two or three per year. Make each meeting count with a full agenda of important issues. Have additional meetings only if you are in a crisis.

8. Use information technology.
Members cannot make every board meeting. Use videoconferencing for virtual meetings. Teleconferencing is effective for briefer, interim meetings. Use web-conferencing tools like Webex or Placeware. Use email questionnaires to get and provide feedback. Use survey tools like http://Zoomerang.com.

9. Run top-notch meetings.
Appoint an effective leader, begin and end on schedule, keep to a strong agenda, review past actions and commitments, encourage total participation, keep communications open, log action items, avoid side conversations, summarize meeting results.

10. Act on their advice.
Your advisory board will give you their best only when you act on their recommendations. That's why you got them in the first place.

Career Builder: Using Job Boards For More Than Jobs

Customer Advisory Boards