Sunday, May 31, 2020

JibberJobber on Fox News

JibberJobber on Fox News Last week JibberJobber was the first thing mentioned on Fox News (My Fox Gulf Coast / Fox 10).  Heres the description: On Mondays Daily Dot Com, Charissa Cowart shows you a website to help you organize your job search materials. She also tells you that you can find video memories of Yankee Stadium on the Yankees website. Check out the websites here. Heres a link to the clip (click on the image below): Want to know how it happened?  I met Charissa Cowart on Twitter, we exchanged a few tweets, she checked out JibberJobber, and the rest is history.   What, you say, Twitter is lame?  It worked pretty good this time  Thanks a bazillion Charissa! JibberJobber on Fox News Last week JibberJobber was the first thing mentioned on Fox News (My Fox Gulf Coast / Fox 10).  Heres the description: On Mondays Daily Dot Com, Charissa Cowart shows you a website to help you organize your job search materials. She also tells you that you can find video memories of Yankee Stadium on the Yankees website. Check out the websites here. Heres a link to the clip (click on the image below): Want to know how it happened?  I met Charissa Cowart on Twitter, we exchanged a few tweets, she checked out JibberJobber, and the rest is history.   What, you say, Twitter is lame?  It worked pretty good this time  Thanks a bazillion Charissa!

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Custom Resume Writing - Professional Resume Writing Tips

Custom Resume Writing - Professional Resume Writing TipsSome people think that custom resume writing can be a way to ensure that you get the job, when the best route to go would be to seek a position with the least amount of hassles. However, if you do not have the ability to write custom resumes, then what can you do? What can you do to ensure that you are given the first opportunity to compete for the job?Firstly, the most important points to remember are that you have to learn everything about the company you are applying for. This is so important because it means that you will know exactly what the job is about and this means that you will be able to effectively showcase your knowledge to the employer.One of the worst things that you can do when writing resumes is to put in too many personal details. Personal details can include your religion, your political views, your religious beliefs and so on. People will tend to disregard these things when writing a resume.When you apply, y ou need to write in a way that will be understandable to the person that will read it. You need to make sure that you do not use up more space than is necessary. In fact, you should only use half of the available space, as this will ensure that you can make your statement concisely and easily readable.The next thing to remember is that you need to keep your resume as short as possible, especially when it comes to different areas of expertise. It is also important to use the proper grammar so that the person reading it will understand your content. Once again, you do not want to over use too many words.Another important point to remember is that you need to stay focused and avoid getting lost in all of the information that you have to get across. When the information is too many, it doesnot matter how good your resume looks. It simply cannot be effective.Writing a custom resume is no different than writing any other document. You need to be professional and you need to deliver an acc urate representation of your qualifications and your potential.As a professional resume writer, you need to follow the above tips in order to ensure that you give the employer the best chance possible of hiring you. If you want to be sure that you are given the best chance possible, you should make sure that you are ready to write custom resumes.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

8 Onboarding Tips to Get New Employees Off to the Best Possible Start

8 Onboarding Tips to Get New Employees Off to the Best Possible Start So youve spent hours sourcing, interviewing and negotiating in order to find the perfect employee for your organisation; you probably think that  the hard  part is over, right? Not quite. The first week or two  in the job is an incredibly important time  for your new employee, so it is essential that you  ensure they get  off on a good note and feel  happy and engaged in their new role. If you fail to effectively onboard your employees, they will form a negative first impression of the company and you are at risk of losing them at an early stage. Employees want to be thoroughly initiated when they start in a new role, and its to your benefit too if they can learn the ropes as quickly as possible. In order to get your new employee off on the right foot, heres how you can onboard them effectively: 1) Introductions and tour On your employees first day you want them to feel welcome and help them get settled quickly. You can start by properly introducing them to the team and giving them a tour of the office, so they  can familiarise themselves with the different departments and facilities. By getting your whole team involved in making them feel at ease, they will soon integrate into the business and form relationships with colleagues. Encourage other employees to involve them social  activities, such as inviting them out for lunch with them or for drinks after work, so they have the chance to get to know people a bit more. 2) Describe the companys values Although you have probably touched on the topic of your companys values and vision in the interview, its always a good idea to refresh your new employees memory and go into a bit more detail about your future goals for the business and how they will fit into your plans. Provide them with  information about the companys mission, strategy, goals, customers and operational structure, to ensure that they feel involved and  know  how their particular role adds value to the running of the business. 3) Explain responsibilities Youd hope that by this point they would have a pretty good understanding of what their new role involves, however different companies do things in different ways, so it is still important to provide them with some guidance about how you would like things to be done, who they will be reporting to and working alongside, etc. It is also essential that you bring them up to speed with any ongoing projects that they will be involved in and introduce them to clients/customers. 4) Set goals It is important to let them know your expectations of them early on and provide them with information about how their performance will be assessed. You dont want to give your employee too much work, too soon, as this can be overwhelming; however by setting a few  goals for them to work towards in their first few months at the company, it will provide them with a focus and ensure they are engaged from day one. 5) Ensure they have all the required resources Ahead of your employees first day you must make sure that you have collated  all the necessary resources and tools ready for their arrival. This includes access to an employee handbook outlining company policies, procedures and other important information, tech equipment set up for them, the required software installed and  log-in details provided. 6) On the job training Providing on the job training will help your employee to get up to speed with  software and tools and helps them  to develop new skills in order to meet the needs and expectations of the company. Providing hands on training will help new employees to adjust and settle into their roles much quicker than if they are provided with a manual or left to teach themselves. 7) Provide them with an mentor Its likely that your new employee will have a lot of questions in their first couple of weeks in the job, so its important that they have someone to go to for help. By providing them with a mentor they will feel like they have the support they need and its a huge comfort to know they have a go-to person to talk to about any concerns or queries they may have. 8) Ask for feedback Once your employee has been with your company for a few months ask them for a bit of  feedback about their experience and thoughts on  your onboarding process. From this you can evaluate how effective it is, pinpointing what works well and what needs to be improved for future hires. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Use workplace skills to improve Thanksgiving dinner

Use workplace skills to improve Thanksgiving dinner Beware of Thanksgiving. It is the holiday of disaster. It is the only national holiday when everyone in the whole country gets in a car or plane at the same time. It is the only national holiday where family members meet from far away places and do not placate each other with presents. And it is the only holiday that makes people a wreck at the workplace. All other work holidays are a treat because order starts to disintegrate a little before the holiday, providing a sort of bonus holiday. For example, when July 4th is on a Wednesday, forget Monday and Tuesday. Those are beach days. And you cant expect United States workers to show up the week before Labor Day when all of Europe got the whole month off. But Thanksgiving, thats something else. Unless you are in customer service, your job takes a hiatus between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is not an official hiatus everyone shows up for work as if they care. In fact, some people do care, but not enough people care about work during the time to accomplish anything. This makes for a completely frantic three days before Thanksgiving. The real cause of Thanksgiving disaster is a short fuse from a long week. You can solve a lot of problems by not bringing work stress to the turkey table. This is not something you can will. You must take action. Do yoga, get a massage, read a book. Thanksgiving is vacation time; use Wednesday night to create a break between work time and vacation time. Thanksgiving is short, so if you are a person who takes four days to unwind you will miss the whole thing. Which is lame, because when you have to answer, Why do I work? surely part of the answer is so that you can enjoy your family and friends. So here you are. This is it. If you cant calm down from the stress of your job in order to enjoy this workweek break, then what is the point of working? As an overworked worker contributing the Thanksgiving improvement plan, the only thing you have to do well at Thanksgiving is contribute to good dinner table conversation. Fortunately, you have practiced being a good listener at work. You cant talk over your boss without getting fired, so somewhere, somehow, you have trained yourself to not interrupt people. Use that skill at the dinner table. Surprise your little brother by letting him finish a sentence. He might be so touched that hell say something nice about you. Besides, if you dont practice good listening in all aspects of your life then youre likely to be lazy about it at work, too. And one more thing about conversation Dont ask the unemployed people at the table how their job-hunt is. Because heres the answer: it sucks. If you have to talk jobs, dont make suggestions on how to get one. Really, the unemployed person has tried everything. And even if he hasnt tried everything, he doesnt want to have to talk about it at Thanksgiving, in front of aunts and uncles who lived through the depression and are like, Why cant you just be a tailor? So do your best, but dont despair when things go poorly. Everyone needs a good My Thanksgiving was so bad that story to tell at work on Monday. After all, thats the day work stops and the month-long conversation-at-the-cooler begins.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

How to Make a Professional Resume

How to Make a Professional ResumeIt is not always easy to find out how to make a professional resume. People just do not know how to make a professional resume that will appear professional, in the eyes of the employer. Sometimes, the only way to get a proper look at the real purpose of the professional resume is to hire a professional resume writer.When it comes to how to make a professional resume, it has to be the key to success. This means that it has to be professionally written. If it does not have a professional feel to it, then it will come across as artificial. If you do not know how to make a professional resume, then this is the perfect time to learn so that you can give the best presentation possible.The first step to learning how to make a professional resume is to actually read one. The first thing that you will notice is that the resume seems like something that someone is trying to sell. It might seem like it was all written by the person who wrote it and that the per son who wrote it did not read a resume before they put it together. This is not always the case though, and sometimes it is even the person who is giving the resume some help with their writing skills.The best way to learn how to make a professional resume is to take the time to read some samples that other people have created. You can do this by going online and looking for the resumes. Sometimes, there are very professional looking resumes that were written by people who did not really have any idea about how to put together a professional resume. They may also have not had any experience in creating a professional resume.Now that you know this, it is a good idea to consider hiring a professional. You do not have to hire someone to design your resume. What you need to hire them to dois to turn it into a professional looking one. If the person who designed the resume did not put much thought into it, then you should expect a similar result. This means that you should expect a profe ssional resume that looks a little bit off.The first thing that you need to know how to make a professional resume is that it needs to have a professional feel to it. It needs to give the impression that you are well known, well trained, and have the skills needed for the job. The best way to do this is to make sure that you have the correct qualifications and that you have read your qualifications. By reading them, you will be able to make sure that you understand what you are being asked to prove.Once you have gathered all of the information that you need to know about your qualifications, you can then go about how to make a professional resume. The next thing that you need to know how to do is to focus on the most important things that the employer is looking for. Remember that in order to be hired, you will need to show the employer that you are well educated and have all of the qualifications. The key to doing this is to do your research and to know the company that you are app lying to before you apply.Finally, once you know what the company is looking for, you can then apply. Make sure that you do this research before you apply though. This is because a resume that you make on your own can be a lot more helpful than one that was actually created by someone else. This is because it shows the employer that you are willing to do the research needed for the job and that you are also a professional that is willing to put the time into the project.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

6 Ways Being Too Nice Is Holding You Back at Work

6 Ways Being ‘Too Nice’ Is Holding You Back at Work Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comNew research by Activia Training suggests that, far from the workplace being a cut-throat place where employees would willingly stab each other in the back for a pay rise or promotion, most people go out of their way to be helpful to colleagues.The survey took data anonymously from more than 1,600 workers, and as many as 84% of the respondents said that their friends and colleagues came to them for advice. 70% said that they would offer assistance to a struggling friend or colleague.But is this actually a good thing? While being kind and friendly can certainly help you in your professional and personal life, it can also be a disadvantage if you don’t set boundaries at work. Check our list below to see how being ‘too nice’ is holding your career backâ€" and learn how to strike the right balance between niceness and professionalism. 1. You’re considered dispensableevalYou might think that nice people would be considered more valuable than their more d ifficult and demanding colleagues because of their helpful nature. Unfortunately, even highly trained managers don’t always recognise the value of things that are easily available to them â€" and when asked to make tough decisions, may choose the easiest path that’s open to them, as business coach Zena Everett explains: “In my experience, ‘nice’ people may be passed over for promotion or even let go more readily than difficult colleagues, because the boss knows they’re not going to be given a hard time about it,” she says.What to do: Understand the value of your time and efforts and make sure your friends and colleagues understand it as well. Offer help at your convenience and don’t do their job for them unless it’s completely unavoidable. Set firm boundaries and maintain professional relationships â€" and a professional distance, if necessary â€" between you and your colleagues.2. You’re exploitedIf you’re regularly working longer hours than your colleagues an d are your boss’s go-to person every time he needs someone to work late or take on extra responsibilities, you need to take an objective look at the situation. Is your boss asking you to do this because you’re the best person for the job â€" or is he or she simply taking advantage of your good nature?It might not be your boss â€" you might find yourself giving up your own time to help out colleagues, or even just listen to their woes and offer advice. The problem is that kind and willing people are easy to exploit. Friends and colleagues will come to you with a long list of compelling excuses, asking for your time and energy â€" and if you give in too often, they will recognise it and attempt to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, people who are ‘too nice’ often hesitate to protest and bear the added load silently. What to do: If you notice a pattern and feel like you’re wasting your time and energy needlessly, put a stop to it. A polite, “I’m sorry but I already have too much on my plate,” is enough to limit the amount of favours people ask from you. It’s important to not let people fall into the habit of relying on your assistance as that has a negative impact on you as well as the person you’re trying to help. If they continue to rely on you, they won’t learn how to get things done on their own and that can hamper their progress at work too.3. You get the worst jobsYour inability to say “no” or voice your opinion will also have an impact on the types of tasks you’re asked to do. If you’re considered the “nice guy”, your colleagues and superiors will be more inclined to dump you with the jobs that no one else wants to do.evalIf you’re the “office mum” who regularly finds yourself stacking the dishwasher with everyone else’s coffee cups long after they’ve left for the day, you definitely need to take stock!It’s true that everyone has to perform tasks they don’t enjoy at times, but most professionals also work o n projects that engage their interest and provide a challenge. If you’re constantly stuck performing tasks that you don’t find appealing, you’ll start to find your work stressful.What to do: The best way to avoid being saddled with the rubbish jobs is to stay in the competition for interesting projects. Make sure your voice is heard, and that you’re putting yourself forward for the things you want to do. Appeal to management when you believe your skills will be useful in a particular project. Step forward and volunteer when job assignments are discussed in meetings. If you actively participate in the discussions, you’ll be more likely to get the job.4. You end up cleaning others’ messResearch shows that happy, positive people are often problem solvers. If you love to help others in crisis, and are good at offering last minute solutions, you may find you’re the go-to person when there’s a problem at work or if a colleague makes a mistake.evalThese problems are almost always urgent and arrive at the last minute so you’re forced to set aside your own work to offer help. That can prove to be disadvantageous and can compromise your career.What to do: Prioritise your own work over others’ even if their situation is more urgent â€" your boss won’t thank you for doing your colleagues’ jobs instead of your own and in fact, by doing so, you could be jeopardising your own work and career.If you’re still struggling to say “no,” instead of setting aside what you’re working on immediately, inform your colleague that you’ll wrap up your work as quickly as you can and then help them. This keeps your priorities straight and ensures your colleagues value your time and efforts more.5. You’re underpaid but overworkedNice people don’t say “no” often. If you’re taking on projects and accepting tasks even when you have a very tight schedule, it won’t be long before you find yourself giving up most of your free time and even sacrificing w eekends. Giving work away for free also diminishes the value of your efforts and time, and may have a negative knock-on effect on your salary reviews and pay rises.What to do: Be honest: are you being fairly remunerated for what you do? If not, you either need to speak to your boss about a pay rise, or look for a new job where your salary is an accurate reflection of your work. If you’re sacrificing your free time to help a colleague, you’re certainly not being fairly remunerated for your work. Don’t fall into this trap because it will eventually lead to a burnout and cause health problems. If you can’t get the task done during work hours, don’t take it up unless it’s unavoidable.6. You come across as inauthenticPeople appreciate honesty more than they appreciate nicety. If you give your opinions in a polite but firm manner, you’ll be more respected by your friends and colleagues than if keep appeasing people around you, even if you don’t agree with them. Unfortunate ly, ‘too nice’ is often read as ‘completely insincere.’What to do: If you want to be respected in the workplace, don’t hesitate to offer your opinions, criticisms, and advice. Be polite without being silent. However, you must also be open to receiving criticism and advice. That will help you build and maintain a good reputation in your workplace.As you can see, being too nice can have negative consequences, compromising your reputation and career. If you struggle with finding a good balance between being nice and being a doormat, it might be a good idea to consider some therapy or training to help you become more assertive. Once you’ve got a handle on this, your career will blossom â€" it’s all about finding that perfect balance!

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Do You Need Some Honest Feedback

Do You Need Some Honest Feedback Im heading into dangerous waters with this post, I know. Have you ever run into someone who doesnt know when to stop talking?Or been stuck in a conversation with someone who talks about themselves the entire time? Or how about meeting someone who is so negative, a complainer, bitter and/or angry? How do you handle these situations? I thinkwe tolerate the person and then make our escape as soon as we can, right? But, is that the right approach? I know that person didnt askfor your feedback, but before leaving their company, could you ask Can I provide you with some feedback? If they say yes, let em have it. It is possible that they are unaware of their behavior? Is it possible that you could be the 10th person to provide that same feedback and perhaps theyll change? Is it also possible that theyll get mad and stomp off? Every day, sadly, I encounter people who are damaged goods. They are riddled with negativity, lack self awareness, and sometimes are even rude. If I was an employer, I wouldnt touch them with a 10-foot pole. I also know that people in job search are going through difficult times. Yet, I dont believe this excuses them. So, maybe it isnt your job to coach these folks, it is mine. My six word memoir is: Sharing information. Holding accountable. Better world. Sometimes we get our hands slapped. Thats life. I am tired of the political correctness that has taken over our society. If you are acting like a jerk, why cant I politely call you out on your behavior? Help me here. How would things and people change if we asked if we could provide them with some feedback? Would it make a difference?

Friday, May 8, 2020

Career Corner Need balance Stop teetering by setting boundaries - Hallie Crawford

Career Corner Need balance Stop teetering by setting boundaries Life can feel a little crazy when youre in the midst of a change like a career transition. If you have one foot in your current job and the other foot has stepped into dreaming about your future career, you may get overwhelmed. This happens, especially in times of transition. The trick is to set boundaries for yourself as a way to manage your time and curb the feelings of overwhelm. Here are some tips to staying in balance during your transition by setting boundaries: Technology: Separate your job search tasks from your personal tasks. For example, if youve signed onto Career Builder to post your resume, or joined a new association to search their job boards, you could create a special email address for this purpose alone. This way, your career pursuits can be kept separate from your daily responsibilities, helping you to feel less distracted and stressed. Keep your career-related information in a separate folder on your computer. Time: Establishing boundaries with your time can be another way to maintain balance during your transition. For instance, you can make a commitment to not to think about anything career-related after 7:30 p.m. and reserve a time slot for your career search tasks. Your commitment could be, I will work on my career transition from 5:30-7:30 at least twice a week. Personal: Establish personal goals each week to make sure you set aside time to take care of yourself. Create a weekly habits checklist for exercise, spending time with friends/family, or your hobbies and write down what you will commit to doing each week no excuses. By setting and maintaining boundaries between your career goals, everyday responsibilities, and leisure pursuits, you will feel more in-control of your life, balanced and at peace with yourself and the process of career change. And let me know if you need help, career change is much easier to manage with the support of a coach! Heres to having a career you love! Career Seekers Coach