3 Surprising Truths About People Who Hate Their Jobs - The Muse

3 Surprising Truths About People Who Hate Their Jobs - The Muse3 Surprising Truths About People Who Hate Their JobsUntil recently, I thought Id have crappy jobs forever. In fact, until I started writing for a living, I probably wouldve folded your laundry every day if you told me that you could pay me enough to make rent and buy groceries. I hated a lot of my previous positions that much. And because I welches in that situation, I know what youre going through if youre currently a member of the bedrngnis-so-exclusive I Hate My Job Club.Thats why it was so easy for me to write up this list of the three things youll only understand if your current role makes you want to tear your hair out. 1. Youre Still Trying to Do Your Job WellA few years ago, my dad told me that hating your job isnt an excuse to slack off at work. Hed assumed from all my complaints that I was just sitting aroundwell- complaining. But for the most part, I pushed myself to do my best every day. And Im willing to bet that many other members of this club are in the same boat. As you know, people who think their jobs suck still have a lot of motivation to work hard- whether it has to do with making sure you remain employed (until something better comes along) or getting a promotion (that gets you away from your current boss). And no matter what the case is for you, telling someone that you dont like what you do should never be a cue for that person to assume youre loafing around at the office. So the next time someone says that, dont be afraid to say, I told you that I dislike my job, but I never mentioned anything about slacking off while Im there. Im proud to say that despite all the issues, I work very hard.2. You Know Youre Lucky to Have This JobThere are days when everyone- especially those of you who cry on Sunday nights because you realize you have to be at work in only a few hours- forgets the fact that theyre lucky to have a steady paycheck. But for the most part, one of the things that k eeps members of the I Hate My Job Club motivated is the understanding that theyre lucky to be employed at all. While I hated my job (so much at points), I also knew plenty of people who didnt have any sort of consistent employment. And even though Id often tell people that I was going to quit and drive around the country in a beat-up minivan, I also understood that I was lucky to be able to pay my bills and afford to go out for the occasional happy hour. People who think their jobs suck have a lot of thoughts during the day- and for many of them, one of the most surprising is gratitude for having a regular source of income. So when someone tells you to feel lucky that you even have a job, you can say that youre well aware- and that you dont need to be reminded not to take it for granted. TRUTH TALK YOU DESERVE TO LOVE YOUR JOBAnd luckily for you, we know lots of awesome companies hiringCheck them out now 3. Youre Always Just Days Away From Quitting (Then Payday Comes)On the flipside , its that regular paycheck that keeps people in those horrible jobs for far too long. Theres a lot of comfort in knowing that twice a month, youll have the cash you need to buy groceries, as well as something fun that you absolutely dont need. And when you hate your job, sometimes those impulse purchases help you cope with the fact that youd rather be doing anything else for a living. Or for me, even when I knew it was time to get out, some sort of major life event would always occur. Someone would get married, and Id need to buy a gift. Or something Id been eyeing for months went on sale. They were silly reasons to stay at a company I hated, but ultimately, the fear of not being able to even consider them kept me in positions I hated for far too long. You should consider yourself lucky if you cant relate to any of these things. But for those of you who know what its like to do a job that sucks the life out of you, its about time that the people in your life understood whats going through your head.With that said, being able to purchase something you really want doesnt compare to having a career you love. And you truly deserve to have a job that youre excited to go to every day (OK, most days). So while you should get kudos for surviving a position you hate, you also owe it to yourself to look for something better.

Does Your Company Stifle or Nurture Ambition

Does Your Company Stifle or Nurture Ambition Does Your Company Stifle or Nurture Ambition With the assumption being that you want to retain your talent and minimize unwanted turnover, it seems vital that you create an environment that is warm and welcoming to ambition and not cold and hostile. But, the question is are you doing it? Is your business stifling or nurturing ambition?For example, does your organization regularly recruit from within? Many companies are good at promoting internal employees but many employers offer positions externally without considering external applicants. This approach of not advertising internally is career limiting for internal staff, stifles ambition and doesnt make business sense, as a Wharton Business School study shows that internal hires are 18 20 percent cheaper and perform better than external applicants hired to comparable posts.And/or does your organization use Stretch Assignments? Stretch assignments are jobs, often on a temporary basis, w hich internal hires can be promoted into. In these scenarios internal hires may take on a new role, which is beyond their current experience level and requires them to learn new skills and extend themselves (stretch) in order to succeed. If they succeed, they will have developed and progressed in the competency level. Stretch Assignments are a great way to nurture ambition and develop potential.There are two important conditions of stretch assignments in that there should be organizational support in terms of mentoring and coaching and a soft landing, meaning employees can return to their former roles if things dont work out. It is about stretching, not breaking, employees.Also, does your company have a competency framework making clear what skills are needed to progress within the business? If employees dont know what skills they need to develop to progress, they are working blind and are not self empowered to learn in a way that can help them reach their career aims- and their amb ition is being stifled. So, make sure to let employees know what qualities are needed to succeed and nurture their ambition.Do you provide access to mentors? A study by Sun Microsystems of 1,000 employees over a five year period showed that staff who had been mentored were 20 percent mora likely to get a raise than those who had not been mentored. Another study by Sylvia Anne Hewlittshowed that mentored staff are more likely to ask for more responsibility. Mentors are clearly a great way to nurture ambition.Are all learning opportunities, internal vacancies, project opportunities, job rotation opportunities advertised internally? If you dont advertise these things you are creating a closed environment for career progression, as employees do not see any opportunities to progress and this stifles ambition. Try and create an open and transparent market for career opportunities .Is your organization accepting of failure? If you want to encourage your employees to learn, develop and exte nd themselves, the best way to do this is to build a culture that is tolerant or even accepting of failure when an employee has attempted to push his/herself. If employees who extend themselves and fail are crucified, then this may discourage other employees from pushing themselves beyond their current personal boundaries.If you find that your business is answering no to a lot of these questions it may be that your current culture is stifling ambition, which could suggest there is a need for some change in order to cultivateand ultimately retain top talent.

13 of the Smartest Interview Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager

13 of the Smartest Interview Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager13 of the Smartest Interview Questions to Ask a Hiring Manager13 of the Smartest Questions to Ask a Hiring ManagerAdd these questions to your interview checklist.Whether youre looking for your first job or are a seasoned professional, a positive impression during the interview is key to getting an offer.When you ask a hiring manager insightful questions during a job interview, you demonstrate your professionalism, thoughtfulness, and commitment. Unfortunately, many candidates trail off when it comes to questions to ask a hiring manager.In my experience, that blunder is due to either lack of preparation, or the stress of the interview. How do you set yourself up for success? Keep in mind that the best interview questions are ones that emerge naturally from the conversation. You may find it helpful to jot down notes that can eingabeauffbuchenung questions to ask in an interview. Brainstorming beforehand and coming in with a few prepared questions can be effective, as well.I want you to end the interview in a powerful and impactful way. Here are some questions to inspire your own brainstorming session.1. What is the history of this stelle?This is an important question to ask in an interview because if you are offered the job, you will have to work in the environment affected and shaped by your predecessor.Perhaps this opening was recently created to support company growth. If that is the case, ask a follow-up question about who owned the responsibilities up to this point, and how the duties will be transitioned.If you are interviewing for a position left vacant by someones departure, get a sense for what happened. Why did the predecessor leave the job? Was he or she promoted or internally transferred? If the predecessor left the company, ask about the circumstances.On the same note, it is usually fair game to clarify whether the company is considering internal candidates for the position.2. What about t his position is fruchtwein important? How does it support management and serve direct reports?This is an important question to ask in an interview because it can help you get insight into the position and how it fits into the network of the company. Who will you support? Who will you supervise and guide? What skills are critical for success?3. What would you want to see me accomplish in the first six months?All too often, job descriptions present routine tasks and responsibilities. Asking about specific expectations and accomplishments can allow you to tailor the conversation to demonstrate your fit for the position. It also shows your commitment to adding value.4. How would you measure my success, and what could I do to exceed your expectations?I like this question because it addresses expectations in concrete terms. Beyond stock descriptions of good communication and analytical skills, what does excellence look like for that position?5. Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do in order to get up to speed quickly?For some jobs, learning the technology or the internal company procedures is the most challenging aspect of coming on board. For others, it is about understanding the human network. Any guidance on how to speed up the learning process and make you effective and productive quicker can give you a significant advantage.6. What are the expectations about managing workflow?Virtually every company has enough work to keep everyone busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In practice, everyone gets to go home at the end of the day. How do you know when you are done for the day? What are the expectations around working on weekends and responding to emails outside the normal working hours?7. How is the feedback process structured?Asking this question in an interview has been critical for me as a candidate. Feedback is how humans get better. Excellence and mastery have always been important to me, and I am aware that they are imp ossible without regular feedback. Does this company limit its feedback cycle to the annual reviews? Does the hiring manager make it a priority to deliver just-in-time acknowledgment and suggestions for improvement?8. What opportunities will I have to learn and grow?Does the company offer formal or informal mentoring and coaching? Does it invest in continued education or professional training? Great companies want to hire people who are dedicated to personal and professional growth. Show your hiring manager that continued development is important to you.9. What is the most challenging part of your job? What is your favorite part of your job?Your hiring managers job is different from the one you are interviewing for. However, insight into his or her challenges and favorites can offer a glance into the support and assistance you can offer.10. How did you get to your role?Asking deeply personal or intrusive questions wont get you high marks on the interview. However, most professionals enjoy sharing their career journey. Ask what first attracted the hiring manager to this company and what the career progression has been like.11. Do you have the tools and resources to do your job well?Asking this question in an interview can give you insight into the challenges the hiring manager has in doing his or her job. Resources trickle down, so if the hiring manager is pressed for time, dealing with an unusually tight budget, or is short on human capital, you will be affected as well.12. Do you feel that your opinions count?Having an opportunity to contribute is one of the key indicators of job satisfaction and team performance. If your hiring manager feels heard, appreciated, and valued for his or her input, chances are the same will translate into your position.13. Is there anything I have said that makes you doubt I would be a great fit for this position?Asking this question at the close of the interview can feel terrifying. After all, you are asking whether there is any reason why the hiring manager wouldnt want to extend you an offer. However, if you have the courage to ask this, you stand to gain a better sense of the next steps in the process and an opportunity to address any reservations that the hiring manager might have about your candidacy while you still have his or her attention.Having considered some of the questions that can put you in the best light and close the interview on a high note, here is a short list of questions that you should never ask in an interview.Bonus Questions you should never ask during an interviewInformation that can be found through a simple Google search. Interview questions such as, What does your company do? or Who is your competition? make you look like you did not do your research and are not serious about your candidacy.Gossip. If you have heard something through the grapevine that makes you doubt the companys financial strength, ask your question in a non-confrontational way. Instead of, Why are you about t o lay off 1,000 employees next month?, ask the hiring manager for his or her opinion about how well positioned the company is for the future.Pay, raises, and promotions. All of that will be discussed as part of the offer process. Its best to avoid questions that make you look too cocky, or paint the picture of someone who makes the decision based primarily on money.Background checks. Assume that the company will run a background check as part of the pre-offer due diligence. Asking this question makes you look like you have something to hide.emaille or social media monitoring. Assume that the company monitors network usage in some way. The internet has a long memory and written comments have a way of getting around. Play it safe and dont use the companys network in ways that can make you look unprofessional.Deeply personal or invasive questions. You dont want to make the interviewer feel uncomfortable or defensive.Need more help preparing for your next job interview? Click on the fol lowing link for additional interview advice.Need help preparing for your next interview? Talk to a qualified TopInterview coach todayRecommended ReadingHow Not to Answer the Most Common Interview QuestionsThe 8 Best Questions to Ask in an Informational InterviewTurn Interview Anxiety into Excitement with This Simple TechniqueRelated Articles

How to Make a Numeric Employee Ratings System Work

How to Make a Numeric Employee Ratings System WorkHow to Make a Numeric Employee Ratings System WorkNumeric ratings are one of the most abused components of any measurement and assessment system. They make people angry, destroy fragile working relationships, make one employee judge abedrngnisher, and create an artificial, thoroughly uncomfortable situation for both the person rating and the person whose work is being rated. The wonder to me, the way most numeric rating systems are designed, is why you would expect anything different from their use. If an organization takes unsubstantiated, undocumented, uncommunicated, secret numbers and springs a numeric rating on employees periodically, expect the worst. Do numeric ratings make a contribution in the workplace? Done well, I believe numeric ratings can motivate excellent work wertzuwachs done poorly, numeric ratings undermine your positive work environment. Can you use your performance rating system as partee of a process to promote a culture of organizational excellence? Yes, in fact, according to Dick Grote, in The Secrets of Performance Appraisal Best Practices from the Masters, in a landmark performance-management benchmarking study conducted by the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) and Linkage Inc., rigorous assessments of talent and potential are helping companies make major progress in developing cultures of performance. In Current Legal Issues in Performance Appraisal, Stanley B. Malos, J.D., Ph.D. makes six Substantive Recommendations for Legally Sound Performance Appraisals. Even if legalities are bedrngnis your concern, ansicht six recommendations set the stage for what makes an appraisal rating system, for employees or non-employees, sound, and potentially - motivational. According to Malos, appraisal criteria should be objective rather than subjectiveshould be job-related or based on job analysisshould be based on behaviors rather than traitsshould be within the control of the rateesh ould relate to specific functions, not global assessments,should be communicated to the employee. Malos cites procedural recommendations for legally sound performance appraisals as well. His recommendations include procedures should be standardized for all people within a job group they should provide notice of performance deficiencies, and opportunities to correct them should provide written instructions and training for raters should require thorough and consistent documentation across raters that include specific examples of performance based on personal knowledge. Performance measurement and numeric rating system guidelines The following ten guidelines, examples, and ideas will assist you to develop a performance measurement and rating system which is motivational rather than confrontational. Take great care in establishing what it is that you want to measure. Jack Zigon, an expert in performance management and measurement, in Performance Appraisal Lessons from Thirteen Year s in the Trenches, states thatthe hardest part of creating performance standards is deciding which accomplishments to measure. Once you decide, my experience is that people will focus the majority of their energies on those aspects of their work for which they believe they are receiving credit.Develop effective measurements that tell people how they are doing. To the degree these numbers measure what is actually important in the persons work, they are effective in molding performance. Dont pick the outcomes to measure just because they are easy to assign a numerical target. Some of the most important outcomes from any job, and especially as more jobs become information based, are not easily measurable. As an example, during my consulting engagements, organizations often suggest we measure our success in working together by the number of training classes they offered and the number of people who attended the training sessions. I always countered by stating that I wanted to have an im pact on their productivity, customer delivery performance, and staff morale these measurements were worth their time, even if the impact of training was harder to isolate. Establish straightforward, honest criteria that tell people exactly what they must do to achieve a particular numeric rating. Too often organizations fail to establish criteria beyond the judgment of a manager. If they have criteria, they fail to share them with employees. Both of these make up a recipe for disaster in employee performance. While organizations are unlikely to eliminate the judgment of the manager as part of the criteria mix anytime soon, the impact of her opinion should be minimized, where possible. In the APQC/Linkage study cited earlier, the best practice companies placed a significantly greater emphasis on the identification and assessment of competencies. These differ from goals in that they are formulated company-wide, usually by the executive group. They form an unchanging communication of w hat is most important for success in your organization. Grote found the best practice organizations identified competencies, and then defined mastery descriptions-narrative portraits of the behavior that one who mastered the area would likely engage in. While they are much more challenging to create, mastery descriptions give the appraiser a benchmark against which to compare the actual activities of the individual she is assessing. Even better, they provide theappraiseewith a clear picture of exactly what the organization expects. Communicate the established criteria to the people who need the information to perform effectively. If the information translates poorly to a number, communicate a picture of outcomes expected that is vivid and understandable. In an example, from a university student center, criteria for the managers appraisal and success included measurements such as the following. You will receive the highest numeric rating if you increase customer satisfaction by 50 pe rcent as measured by customer comment cards increase the profitability of the snack shop by 20 percent, and present an environment of cleanliness and efficiency in which no paper litters the floor, tables are wiped clean and cleared as soon as customers leave, trash is emptied prior to trash exceeding the containers, and so on. Criteria were also established and communicated for a mid-range numeric rating, and a poor numeric rating in the same categories. This manager had absolutely no questions about what was expected and how the expectations would be measured. She was free to devote her energies to obtaining the most positive numeric ratings. Obtainemployee inputwhen establishing the criteria and the measurements for the numeric ratings. The above manager, in the university student center, helped to establish the numeric ratingcriteria based on what she thought would improve the student experience of her center. She helped create the picture of what would constitute success for he r function. The manager of the catering department, as an example, had different, but no less challenging criteria, based on the needs of his customers.Review the employees progress on the defined criteria, goals, and competencies regularly. Quarterly is minimally sufficient to discuss the staff members progress. Monthly is better. Annually is not often enough to impact the culture and performance. Ideally, each employee knows how they are performing every day. Avoid the horns, or halo effect. If an individual meets all established criteria for two months and then misses the target for the third month in a quarterly reporting period, take into consideration all three months. Too many times, the persons performance is assessed based on the down month. While you want to help the employee problem solve and look at opportunities for improvement, the one down month should not define the persons performance for that quarter. You will want to watch for a trend and address it as soon as the trend is apparent. The employee needs to see and read his performance ratings, rankings, the judgment calls, and the previously established criteria that came together to form his ratings. Jack Zigon also recommends having the employee collect their own performance feedback data as often as possible. This can save the time and energy of the manager and allows the employee, who is most familiar with his data, to present it. This helps the employee take ownership of the data and reduces disagreement and suspicion over reported results. Done well, performance criteria and ratings can contribute to a positive, powerfully motivating experience for organization members. The presence of numeric ratings and performance criteria in yourperformance management systemcan help you formulate the culture you need for success as an organization. Employees know what is expected of them, and they experience few surprises. People know what to work toward, and they know the rewards and recognition the y will achieve. How many people do you know who get up in the morning, and go to work thinking, Gee, I want to be a 3.0 employee on a scale of 5.0 today? Not many. Most people want to do a great job and see their contribution to the success of their organization. What stops them? Unformulated and unclear criteria for success. An uncommunicated numeric ratingsystem tied to unestablished and unsubstantiated performance expectations. Infrequent feedback. An environment of guess how to be great, because we sure arent going to tell you. Get real, managers. We can help our organizations do better than this.

How to Avoid the Worst Deal-Breaker Resume Mistakes

How to Avoid the Worst Deal-Breaker Resume Mistakes How to Avoid the Worst Deal-Breaker Resume Mistakes Common Resume Mistakes and How You Can Avoid ThemTopResumes career advice expert explains why these resume mistakes drive recruiters nuts - and what you can do to avoid them.Thank you to everyone who participated in ur latest edition of OfficeHours, presented by TopResume This time, I had the pleasure of being joined by recruiting expert David Gaspin to discuss the top resume mistakes that recruiters consider deal-breakers, per our latest recruiting survey, and what job seekers can do to avoid them.I also announced a new contest where TopResume will give one lucky winner a free resume makeover each month. Click on the following link to enter to win a free resume makeover.Below is a link to the video of our Live Chat, a summary of our resume-writing tips on how to avoid the top resume mistakes that make recruiters cringe, and our responses to your resume-writing questions. For more career advice and information about upcoming events, please like us on Facebook and sign up for our free weekly newsletter.The 10 Most Common Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid These Deal-BreakersWe recently asked 379 former and current recruiters, hiring managers, and human resources professionals, What are your biggest resume deal-breakers that can cost a candidate the job? They came up with the following list of top 10 resume mistakesSpelling and/or grammatical errors (80%)Incorrect or missing contact information (52%)Unprofessional email address (46%)Outdated or irrelevant information (hobbies, age, marital status, etc.) (45%)Failure to demonstrate and quantify results (33%)Annoying buzzwords and/or obvious keyword stuffing (32%)Too generalized/bedrngnis customized to match job listing (32%)Repetitive words or phrases used in multiple job descriptions (28%)Including a headshot (28%)Format and/or design is too elaborate (23%)Click on the following link to read the press release w ith the full results.Fortunately, many of these resume mistakes can be avoided with a little effort. Check out the video of our Facebook Live Chat below to learn how recruitersinterpret these resume mistakes.OfficeHours Live Chat How to Avoid the Most Common Resume MistakesA big thanks to my guest David Gaspin for sharing his resume advice. Click on the following link for more resume-writing tips to help you avoid the top resume mistakes.Q1 Should I take a recruiters advice on my resume?Is it advisable to send a recruiter a copy of your resume and work with them to revise it for different positions? VanishaThe job of any recruiter is to fill a job vacancy, so if he or she offers you resume advice, its a good idea to take it. This is especially true for contingency recruiters, whose pay is contingent upon their candidate being hired. If a contingency recruiter thinks you might be right for the job, they will likely work harder to make sure you get it, which could include offering wa ys to tweak your resume in the right direction. When it comes down to it, a recruiters goals are the same as yours landing the job. Any advice given is in both of your best interests.Q2 Will adding a P.S. at the end of my titelblatt letter make it more effective?Ive heard that a P.S. at the end of a cover letter is more visible than the rest of the letter. What are your thoughts on including one? Have there been studies about this? DougAdding a P.S. to your cover letter is a risky move. Before you even consider making that move, think about the culture of the company you are applying to. Many may see it as informal and careless, but some may be fine with it. Dont add one unless you know for sure, though you dont want something working against you if you can avoid it.Generally speaking, we dont advise it. Anything that you might want to include in your cover letter as a P.S. should already be in the letter itself. If you do decide to add one, know that what you are saying with it has to be extremely important. Your cover letter will likely not be well-received otherwise. Youve made the risky move make sure its worth it.Q3 How can I craft a resume that includes all of my vast work experience but isnt too long?I have a lot of experience in a variety of positions. How do I write a resume that shows all of this without writing a novel? HelenaHaving an expansive work history is great Its likely that not all of it is relevant to your current job search, though. When crafting your resume, start by writing out all of your experience. Then, pick and choose whats applicable to the types of roles youre interested in. By doing this, youll have a resume that is not only the appropriate length but also optimized for your job search.Remember, too, that not all work history requires excruciating detail. What you did 20 years ago is not as important as what youve done in the past 10. The further back you go in your professional timeline, the less detail you need to include . Limit your work history to titles, company names, and dates, or even add a career note stating Previous Experience Includes and list the positions you held. You want to make it clear that you were still working during this time this isnt an employment gap but you do not need to be specific about experience that is irrelevant or far in the past.Q4 How do I address gaps in my employment on my resume?If I am returning to work after sustaining an injury, how do I address the employment gap? HelenaYou dont need to address this on a resume, especially if there is a solid work history from before the gap. Let your experience speak for itself. If the employment gap is addressed in an interview, you can explain your hiatus without going into too much detail. Keep the focus on the fact that youre back and ready to roll in the workforce.RelatedHow to Handle Gaps in Your Employment HistoryQ5 How different should my resume and LinkedIn profile be?Should my LinkedIn profile mirror my resume? VanishaIf you are currently searching for a job, its not a bad strategy for your resume and LinkedIn profile to mirror each other. After all, LinkedIn is a significant part of your job application materials it is sometimes even used in lieu of a resume when you come across listings that give you the option to Apply With LinkedIn. No matter what you use it for, however, your LinkedIn profile should always tell the same story as your resume. Things like job goals, dates of employment, job titles, and the names of your employers all need to be consistent.Otherwise, LinkedIn is a great opportunity to add a bit more color and personality. Take advantage of this by sharing articles, and adding links and referrals. Your summary can even be less formal. Doing so will help you build your personal brand online.Q6 Should I include hobbies on my resume?What do you think of including hobbies on a resume? PeterJust like adding a P.S. to a cover letter, you should first consider your audience. This includes both the company overall and the individual people reading your resumebecause you dont want to include something that may negatively sway opinions of you. If you do choose to add hobbies to your resume, avoid touchy subjects like religion and politics unless they are totally relevant if you are applying for a religious organization, for example.If your hobbies can demonstrate a qualification for the job, you might more seriously consider adding them to your resume, especially if you are making a career change and they can speak to some of your experience in the new field. Otherwise, leave them off to be safe. If you dont need them, theres no reason to have them.Q7 If the focus of resumes should be on accomplishments, can I still include my positions duties?I know you should include accomplishments on a resume, but to fill out the rest, should you also include duties? DougOf course. Its pretty unrealistic that you could fill an entire resume only with things you have achieved. When it comes to describing your positions duties, its about how you phrase it. Instead of responsible for XYZ, think created and maintained XYZ. Characterize your job by detailing what youve done, not what your job description says. This is where action verbs come into play. Not only will they help you avoid redundant wording, but they will also strengthen your resume by tying your duties to your results.Avoid making the top resume mistakes. Click on the following link to enter to win a free resume makeover.Recommended ReadingHow to Proofread Your Resume Like a ProWords and Phrases to Remove From Your Resume Right AwayHow Can I Make My Resume Beat the ATS?

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Should My Resume Be One Page

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Should My Resume Be One Page As you may still list all your prior jobs, the sum of space you want to describe your role, responsibilities, and achievements will be much less, because youll want to focus the info on the skills you used and accomplishments you achieved that are related to your new job targets. Clearly state what kind of a job which you need and know what skill-set and experience is necessary to succeed in that job. Your focus ought to be on the employer and what he would want to understand about you. If you get a very long career history, focus on the previous 10 to 15 decades. Should My Resume Be One Page Help While your resume ought to be thorough, its also important that resume is concise. Your resume must make them obvious. Where to Find Should My Resume Be One Page The One Page Rule is among them. If youve got less than three or four decades of teaching experience and no other work experience, the rule of thumb is that you need to only need a single page. Most Noticeable Should My Resume Be One Page Finally, you shouldnt be overly worried about the range of pages. More than four decades, and youll likely need two pages. Including your name near the page number is extremely desirable in case resume pages become separated from one another. If you think a 1 page resume is crucial, youre incorrect. When trying out various fonts and spacing choices, make certain its still simple for a reader to rapidly scan the resume and establish the most crucial selling points. Put simply, its the whole generic data sheet on you and you may include as much information as you want. Nevertheless, a single page is normally better. Two content-related and two formatting-related ideas to make it fit on a single page are given below. Want to Know More About Should My Resume Be One Page? The key isnt to clog every square millimeter of the webpage. Second, think about the position for which youre applying. Each position will often have a brief blurb about the geschftsleben and the position available. Additionally, it is helpful to show youre seriously interested in the available position. One other important issue is that the period of your resume actually gives an employer a comprehension of how good youre at conveying essential information quickly and how can you know whats vital. Once that work is completed, youre finally in a position to choose what length is appropriate given the story you should tell. In the majority of cases, you dont have to go past a half or two-thirds of a page. There are lots of factors that determine resume length. Facts, Fiction and Should My Resume Be One Page Employing a custom resume instead of a generic one is going to greatly increase your probability of an interview, as youll be a better match in the view of the reader. Resume can be one page it depends upon how much experience youve got. The individual who is evaluating your resume wants to kno w whether youre the ideal person for the job. Make sure you let your resume sit on the printer for a couple moments before picking this up. If youve got that type of paper lying around, give it to your children and allow them to scribble on it. The use of bullets may also ensure much better reader comprehension when visually scanned. Theres not anything wrong with a 2 page resume in several cases. Well, the good thing is there are shortcuts and strategies you may utilize to reduce your resume down to a single page when youre all set to utilize it for an application. Besides stuffing your resume with the ideal search phrases in the ideal order, you want to explain yourself and why your experience is pertinent to the job which youre being considered for. If you are in possession of a two-page resume with under 10 decades of experience, its most probably full of fluff. Get your resume down to a page and concentrate on the appropriate experience. The fantastic news is that LinkedI n or a personal website can be applied as a room to put all that additional details.

3 Most Important Traits of an HR Professional - From the Perspective of a Recruiter - Spark Hire

3 Most Important Traits of an HR Professional - From the Perspective of a Recruiter - Spark HireWith over 30 years in the recruiting business, including 25 as the founder and president of my own Houston staffing agency, I have had the good fortune to work with a number of exceptional HR professionals. While as with any profession, there is no one size fits all approach, I have observed several traits that are consistently demonstrated among those who have risen to the top of the HR field.HIGHLY INQUISITIVEBeing able to identify and attract talent is a core attribute of any successful business professional, but is critical for an HR executive. There are some who seem to have a knack for hiring great people and Ive found that they tend to be highly inquisitive by nature. They ask the right questions and then listen they never accept a candidates first answer and theyre not afraid to probe. Sifting through layers of information allows them to identify a candidates true skills and moti vations resulting in the best fit for their goals and talents. I believe many people are put in the right company, but maybe the wrong department or with the wrong people or vice versa simply because the process was rushed and not enough time was spent probing and listening to the candidates true motivations.A DESIRE TO HELPTodays HR departments are highly focused on ROI and rightfully so. HR professionals know they must demonstrate return on their initiatives if theyre going to be taken seriously as a key figure on their companies leadership teams. But managing up with numbers should not be done at the expense of maintaining genuine compassion and a desire to help people. Think about the true HR stars youve come across they certainly have a grasp of the financial aspects of their business, but they havent lost their joy for working with people and the intrinsic rewards that come with positively impacting careers and lives. Dont lose sight of what initially attracted you to the f ield.BREAK THE STATUS QUOYoure unlikely to be thought of a leader in your field by taking the same steps and doing things the same way theyve always been done. The HR professionals that Ive seen rise to the top are truly interested in learning and tend to embrace more experimental approaches. Being considered a thought leader involves taking intellectual risks. Not everything is going to work, but your colleagues will begin to recognize you as someone who is truly trying to move their field forward. Believe it or not, I still remember when assessments, job fit surveys, and behavioral interviewers were considered controversial. Without forward-thinking HR professionals wed still be asking candidates to tell us about yourself.Are these 3 traits consistent across the exceptional HR professionals youve come to know? Share with us in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr byVictor1558About the AuthorMarsha Murray is founder and president of Murray Resources, the Houston recruiting firm and staffing agency she founded in 1988. As the president of a 100% woman-owned business, Marsha has been a devoted advocate of women in business, successfully placing thousands of job candidates in her 30-year career. In 2004, the Small Business Administration in Houston named Marsha the Womens Business Advocate of the Year. Murray Resources has been named one of Houstons Fastest Growing Woman-Owned Businesses by the Houston Business Journal, as well as One of Houstons Best Places to Work.

Its in the tea leaves Study says one cup a day boosts creativity

Its in the tea leaves Study says one cup a day boosts creativityIts in the tea leaves Study says one cup a day boosts creativityOne cup of tea a day can be enough to keep your writers block at bay. A new study in the journalFood Quality and Preferencefound that just one cup of black tea had the power to spark creativity long after participants drank the brewed tea leaves.Study Drinking tea boosts brainpowerTo test this, a research team in China recruited 40 students to come to the lab to complete a creative, innovative test dreaming up the perfect name for a ramen restaurant. The students were given the following instructions There is a newly opened ramen (noodle) shop, and we are recruiting shop names for it. Please write as many names as possible that you think are cool and attractive within 20?min.Before the students had to think of creative restaurant names, the researchers first served them warm cups of water or cups of Lipton black tea brewed at the same temperature.The tea lea ves had an outsized effect on the participants. Independent raters found the tea-drinkers names to be more creatively innovative than the water drinkers. Overall, the researchers found that tea drinking was linked to enhanced divergent thinking, the part of our brains associated with generating original ideas and solutions to problems.Tea can stimulate creativityThe researchers theorize that the ritual of tea drinking can unlock the creative parts of our brains because we are primed to associate tea drinking with positive attributes like creativity. It has been found that people believe that those who drink tea have a particular set of personal characteristics such as smart, innovative,elegant, self-confident and steady, the study concluded. It is possible that when people expose to tea, they might be primed to behave in the way that they think a tea drinker should do.If youre a regular tea drinker, you already know about the life-changing power these brewed leaves can give you. On ce you abflug making your tea breaks a relaxing ritual of your workday, you begin to associate your positive mood with tea. As organizational guru and tea aficionado Marie Kondo put it, I drink multiple cups of tea a day. So that will be my break. After Ive accomplished a few things or start to feel tired, Ill get up and make another cup.So next time youre looking for creative inspiration for your next brainstorming session, take a break to brew yourself a cup of tea.

How to Use Achievements on Your Resume

How to Use Achievements on Your ResumeHow to Use Achievements on Your ResumeTo get through the interview stage, your resume has to convince a prospective employer you have all of the required skills and experience. Includingachievements on your resumeis an effective way of achieving this and making your resume stand out in a competitive job market.To simply state on your resume that you have the required skills isnt convincing. Listing achievements on yourresume is a much better way ofdemonstrating your skillset.This enables you to show prospective employers that you have the required skills, rather than just saying you have. Knowing how to use professional achievements on a resume can grab the employers attention and dramatically increase your chances of reaching the next stage in the recruitment process.Its worth remembering that as the requirements are different for each position, its worth tailoring your resume achievements (and the other parts of your resume) to fit the job. The most time-effective way of doing this is to use a resume builder.How to put achievements on your resume?Using action verbs with numerical evidence is the most convincing way of adding examples of personal achievements on a resume. It concisely shows the action you took, as well as its positive result.It can be hard to recall your professional achievementsfrom the top of your head. fruchtwein people dont like to brag about their work achievements and see them as just a day-to-day part of their job.A good way to start is by writing a list of your best professional accomplishments.You can then identify which ones are best suited to a job and build them in using aresume template.Where to put achievements on your resume?You dont necessarily need to limit your accomplishments to one section of your resume. You can include them in your work experience section, your skills section, or even add an achievements section.Examples of accomplishments to put on your resumeUse theexamples of achie vements to put on a resumebelow to help you structure your resume and to remind yourself of your accomplishments. Many of these are industry-specific but can be easily adapted.The idea is to combine action verbs with figures to show how your actions benefitted the company you worked for. Try and think of as many as you can to work into your professional resume.Promoted to Team Leader after just six months in the roleConsistently met deadlinesAnswered over 30 phone calls dailyTrained 12 new team membersMet deadlines consistentlyManaged a department of 25 workersLed a project spanning eight countriesStayed under budget for six consecutive yearsGrew the company customer base by 15%Cut costs by 10% within 12 monthsLaunched over 15 websites over a 2-year periodRan over 12 successful ad campaignsBuilt and trained a new customer tafelgeschirr teamRecruited over 50 peoplePublished 2-3 articles dailyWon the Best Teacher Award 3 years runningIncreased sales by 25%Introduced a new methodology for the training courseResolved internal conflictsReceived the highest average customer service score in the departmentVoted best designer in 2017Oversaw a large company projectReached my sales targets every yearMade regular presentations to clientsGave training workshops to new employeesFixed numerous IT problems each dayWrote a paper which was read by over 1,000 peopleSurpassed my annual sales target by 10%Attained a professional level-5 certificateGrew the companys market share by 7%Spoke at a conference to over 500 peopleGave an interview to the local newspaper about a company projectAnswered over 20 emails per dayResolved customer complaintsHit my quarterly targets 3 years in a rowRead this guide on how to write a resume for more tips on writing a winning resume.

7 Ways to Set Short and Long Term Goals for Your Career

7 Ways to Set Short and Long Term Goals for Your Career7 Ways to Set Short and Long Term Goals for Your CareerYou may feel setting long-term and short-term goals is a waste of time, especially if you live by the old proverb, Man plans, God laughs. Dont make that mistake.Not planning for the future can make for a chaotic one. How Setting Goals Affects Your Career Success Setting goals is a significant component of the career planning process. To have a successful and satisfying career, define your goals and devise a strategy to achieve them. A roadmap that will take you from choosing an occupation to working and succeeding at it is called a career action plan. Your career action plan must have both long and short-term goals. It is imperative to include the steps to take to reach each one, along with ways to get around barriers that might get in your way. Since plans, even very well-thought-out ones, dont always work out, it is also essential to include alternatives to implement wh en the need arises. The Difference Between Short and Long Term Goals Goals are broadly classified into two categories short-term goals and long-term goals. You will be able to accomplish a short-term goal in approximately six months to three years, while it will usually take three to five years to reach a long-term one. Sometimes you can achieve a short-term goal in fewer than three months and a long-term one may take more than five years to complete. To achieve each long-term goal,you must first accomplish a series of both short-term goals and additional long-term goals. For example, lets say you aspire to become a doctor. That may be your ultimate long-term goal, but before you can tackle it, you must achieve a few others, for example, complete college (four years), medical school (another four years), and a medical residency (three to eight years). Along the road to reaching those long-term goals, there are several short-term goals to clear first. They include excelling on en trance exams and applying to college, medical school, and eventually residencies. Since grades matter when it comes to achieving those goals, it is necessary to break your short-term goals down even further, like earning a high grade point average. 7 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Reaching Your Goals Your hard work will play the most prominent role in your success, but if you dont formulate your goals correctly, it will be much more challenging to accomplish them. Your short-term and long-term goals must meet the following criteria Have specific goals. You might say, I want to be successful. Well, who doesnt? But can you define what success means? Success to one person may mean becoming CEO of a company while to another person it may mean getting home from work by 6 pm every day.Your goals must be measurable. Have a timeframe for achieving your goals and a way to determine when you have reached them.Dont be negative. Your goal should be something you want rather than something you want to avoid. It is much better to say, for instance, I want to improve my skills over the next four years so that I qualify for a better job than I dont want to be stuck in this job for another four years. Be realistic. Your long-term goals must be compatible with your abilities and skills. Stating I want to win a Grammy Award if you cant sing or play an instrument will set you up for failure.Your goal must be reachable within your time frame. Break a long-term goal down into smaller goals. It is better to take baby steps than one big giant leap.Pair each goal with an action. For instance, if your goal is to become a writer, sign up for a writing class.Be flexible. Dont give up if you encounter barriers that threaten to impede your progress. Instead, modify your goals accordingly. Lets say your need to continue working will keep you from going to college full-time. Although it wont be possible to finish your bachelors degree in four years, you can enroll in school part-time a nd take a bit longer. Flexibility also means being willing to let go of goals that are no longer meaningful and instead put your energy into pursuing other ones.