The Event You Should Plan for Your TeamASAP

The Event You Should Plan for Yur TeamASAPThe Event You Should Plan for Yur Team- ASAPYouve probably heard tales of hack days at startups and major tech companies- time set aside for the engineers to spend working on whatever they want, with the goal being they build something new by the end of the day. And they probably sounded pretty fun There was music, maybe food, everyone got to devote time to a cool project. Maybe you were a little jealous, felt a little left out.Well, Ive got news- hack days arent just for engineers anymore. A few months ago, our kollektiv started a tradition of having an all-team hack day. From editorial to sales to engineering, we all have to set aside our normal work and spend the whole day creating something new from start to finish.Its quickly become one of my favorite team traditions, and its one that I think any office could benefit from. Read on to learn why all-team hack days are so valuable to the development of your team and company, and how to have one of your very own.Why Take the Time for a Hack Day?The reasons I love this tradition are numerous, but perhaps the biggest is that it affords your team members time to devote to things they otherwise wouldnt have time to work on. Moreover, it gives them time to work on projects that dont even have to get done. Think pet projects, ideas theyve been mulling on, processes that they think would help the company but havent had time to implement, skills theyve been meaning to develop. Supporting your employees in this sort of development is a fantastic morale booster, so carving out some time for it is just smart. Hack days are also a great opportunity to encourage teamwork and give members of your team a chance to get to know each other better. We always allow people to work in pairs or teams if they think multiple skill sets will help their projects along (think someone from absatzwirtschaft or editorial partnering with an engineer), giving them a chance to work with colleagues they dont get to on a day-to-day basis.Finally, hack days really encourage creative, out-of-the-box thinking- something that can be really important to the growth of your company but that can easily get lost in the day-to-day. For example, out of our hack days weve seen new sections of the site be born, new product ideas be brought to the table, and better processes be created. And, of course, fun stuff that makes us smile.Planning Your Own Hack DayReady to get started? The process of having an all-team hack day is pretty simple. Start by choosing a day that tends to be pretty devoid of meetings or urgent work (we like Fridays), and let your team know a few weeks ahead of time to block it off on their calendars (and start thinking about their projects).Its good to prompt people at this point with some parameters Generally, the projects dont have to be connected to their jobs or be necessary for the teams day-to-day operations, but they should relate to the company in some way. And whate ver they decide to do, it has to be something that could feasibly be completed in one day. If your team members are stumped for ideas, you can suggest they think about a problem they want to solve or a skill theyve been looking to sharpen or develop. The day before your hack day, send an email around asking people to let everyone know what theyll be working on- that way, theyre accountable for actually getting it done. Then the next day, get ready to get cranking. While everybodys going to be working hard, we like to make hack days fun affairs. Often, well have somebody in charge of music, and well have food delivered to the office so everyone can keep powering through the lunch hour. The ProjectsYou might be wondering what non-engineers could build in a day. And true, having an all team hack day definitely requires a more creative interpretation of build. But here are a couple examples of my favorite projects to come out of hack day so far to give you a sense of whats possibleWhile we had been creating Muse University email classes for a few months, our COO decided to try a new format, creating our first hard-skill class focused on Excel models.Our director of marketing, who wanted to learn a little more about coding, created a random excuse generator that people could use when they dont feel like going to work. Our editor in chief spent one hack day creating a full guide to using our content management system- something that has made it much easier to onboard new employees.I wanted to develop some of my design skills, and we needed a page that explained how people could write for The Daily Muse, so I spent a hack day conceptualizing and designing the page. (I later went back on my own time to figure out how to code it Check it out here)Weve even talked about having someone do something physical for the office, like decorating a wall or building a bar with a $0 budget. With an open mind, the possibilities are endless.The ResultsThe last step of a hack day Mak e sure you have an hour or so set up before the end of the day for everyone to show off what they did to the rest of the team. In fact, this is where the real magic happens Its when your employees get to learn more about each other and experience everyones abilities. While people are presenting, their co-workers get a chance to see their passions, learn a little more about their side of the business, and generally be reaffirmed at how awesome they are. Even if people failed- meaning they didnt get their project to the point they thought they would- if they can come to the table explaining the road blocks they hit and what they learned, then its still a win. And thanks to hack day, its a win that gets celebrated by everybody. With so many benefits, you cant afford not to set aside some time for an all-team hack day. So pick a date, get your team brainstorming projects, and get excited to get hacking.Photo of team working courtesy of Shutterstock.

Interview Questions About What Motivates You to Sell

bewerbungsgesprch Questions About What Motivates You to SellInterview Questions About What Motivates You to SellIts always a good idea to come to a job bewerbungsgesprch prepared to demonstrate your value and if you can do it with a dollar sign attached, so much the better. At the end of the day, no matter what a company makes or manages or perfects or distributes, most are in the business of making money. Thats especially true if youre seeking a position in sales. How to Answer Sales Interview Questions About Motivation As a prospective employee especially one who works in sales its in your best interests to be able to show that youll make a productive, money-making member of the team. Employers seek goal-oriented, motivated employees with the desire and drive to succeed. When it comes to sales jobs, the need to demonstrate results is even more important. Your paycheck may depend on whether or not you can make a sale, but your employers bottom line certainly requires you to b e able to close the deal. Therefore, when youre bewerbungsgesprching for a sales job, you can expect to be asked what motivates you and the answer is almost always some variation on money. When you are interviewing for a sales position, its important to tie your motivation to sales goals. The interviewer is going to expect you to be self-directed and to be motivated by achieving sales goals and targets. If you have sales experience, share specific examples of what motivated you to achieve success in your previous position(s). Again, the goal is to demonstrate that you can hit targets, that youre self-motivated, and that you can make money for the organization. Here are sample answers to the interview question What motivates you? Sample Answers I am motivated by a challenge. I enjoy spending the time to showcase a product and help the customer to understand the benefits to them.Im motivated by the desire to beat my last record. My goal is always to make larger deals and see bigg er numbers and more clients.What motivates me most is money. I enjoy making large sales, seeking out new clients and growing my departments earning percentage.I am motivated by innovation. I like to try different things, and I love being in sales because every customer brings the opportunity for a new approach. I like helping clients get the deal they need, even if they dont know it yet when we start talking. My goal is always to make a sale that will leave us both happy so that we can continue to grow our business together for years to come. Sales Job Interview Tips Its important to prepare for any job interview, but for a sales job, your primary focus should be on demonstrating value. Come to the table with data that show your worth, e.g. increased sales volume over 10 percent for three quarters in a row or brought in three Fortune-500 clients in fiscal year 20__. This information should feature prominently in your resume and cover letter, as well, but youll want to do some pr actice interviews ahead of time so that youll be able to remind your interviewer of this information in a way that doesnt seem stilted. If you include numbers on your resume, you can share some of those statistics during job interviews. If you didnt list quantifiable achievements on your resume, job down some of your top accomplishments to mention during job interviews. Research the company and its products or services ahead of time, so that you can speak knowledgeably about the organization. Dont restrict yourself to the companys website or PR materials dig into recent news items about the employer, so that youll have an idea of the issues facing the company in the market right now. Finally, go over your elevator speech, the quick, 60-seconds-or-less overview of who you are and what you have to offer an employer. Remember, the goal of a sales job interview is to sell yourself. For this meeting, youre the product. Make the sale.

3 Things to Do Every Time a Co-worker Leaves

3 Things to Do Every Time a Co-worker Leaves3 Things to Do Every Time a Co-worker LeavesIf you stay at any company long enough, youll inevitably see a few co-workers leave for other opportunities. Often times, this can be a moment of stress for the whole sekretariat, while others, for certain people, it may actually be a big relief. Either way, a co-workers departure is always a good time to reinforce your professional relationships, build your network, and potentially take on new responsibilities within your company. Here are three actions you can take to make the best of (and potentially benefit from) a co-worker leaving the herd.1. Take NotesIf any of your departing co-workers responsibilities will be passed on to you (and, if you work together closely enough, they likely will be at least for a while), youll want to understand what her current projects are, what her goals have been, and where she left off. You shouldnt expect her to put in any amount of real work (her mind is prob ably already out the door), but you can gather some thoughts on what needs to happen next on all the projects shes leaving behind and what significant milestones need to be met soon. Even if youre not assigned to take on additional responsibilities, you may want to take 30 minutes to better understand what your co-workers role welches within the company and where you can potentially step in to help. This is especially true if she was involved in choice projects youd love to get your hands on. If you work quickly, you may be able to become the defacto domain expert, impress your boss, and claim those projects for your own.2. Write a LinkedIn Recommendation (and Ask for One)If youve enjoyed working with your colleague, you should tell him so in the form of a LinkedIn recommendation. It will only take five to ten minutes to write, but the thought counts a lot- everyone deeply appreciates a kind review of their work. Plus, you never know if or when youll interact with this co-worker in the future, so it never hurts to make a positive last impression. It is especially thoughtful and important to write a recommendation if the reason your co-worker is leaving is because he or she has been laid off. I once worked at a small startup that failed to secure mora funding and underwent a couple rounds of lay-offs. (In the end, I was laid off as well.) It can be shocking, disappointing, and ultimately disheartening to be laid off, not to mention its incredibly stressful to be thrown into a job search without much warning. But receiving a nice recommendation from your colleagues can go a long way in making you feel appreciated and in more control of your career. On a similar note, now would be a good time to ask your colleague for a LinkedIn recommendation in return. Even if you are not currently looking for a new job, you may one day look for other opportunities, and LinkedIn recommendations can increase your visibility to potential future employers. Try, Weve worked togethe r on so many project teams. Before you go, would you be willing to write me a recommendation about our time together?3. Go to LunchGood-bye lunches are a great way to show an old colleague youve appreciated his or her work, as well as hear all the details about the new gig. If it is a more intimate gathering, you may also get a chance to hear this persons real reason for leaving your company. Was there too much pressure? Did he feel he was passed over for promotions? Did she lose interest and need a change, or is she simply looking for a shorter commute? Of course, if this person is leaving under some duress, you may want to take his or her words with a grain of salt. But no matter what the reason, good-bye lunches or coffee dates can be a great opportunity to better understand your office culture and what projects, clients, or people to be wary of in the future.Saying goodbye to a colleague can be bittersweet and at times stressful. But it can also be an opportunity to take on new responsibilities, move your career forward, and forge stronger professional relationships. If you keep in mind some of the tips Ive outlined above, your former and current colleagues will appreciate your thoughtfulness and grace under pressure. Photo of empty office courtesy of Shutterstock.

Four Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Your Resume

Four Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Your ResumeFour Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Your ResumeWriting well doesnt have to be difficult but if youve ever written a cover letter or resume, you understand just how hard it is to avoid errors. Just type excelent attention to detail in your resume and watch how fast it gets tossed into the trash bin. Presenting yourself as a smart, capable worker who communicates effectively is very important to hiring managers.With that being said, there are four grammar mistakes that landseem to haunt all of us whether were sending an email, drafting a cover letter, or formatting a resume and they deserve one more proofread before you hit that send buttonGender-Specific PronounsRather than using he or she, see whether you can make the subject of your sentence plural and change the gender-exclusive pronoun to the plural form (they, them, or their). Try substituting his or her for a gender-exclusive pronoun when the subject is singular. Or revise the sentence to avoid using personal pronouns altogether.ApostrophesIf you use a contraction, itll need an apostrophe. For possession, check carefully each use of its and its in your writing. If you are indicating possession, there is no need for an apostrophe with its versus its. However, if you are using a shortened form of it is, you need an apostrophe to take the place of the missing letter.CapitalizingAlthough capitalization errors can easily occur, it is important to avoid them. Frequently, capitalization errors like spelling errors jump out and distract readers from what a writer is saying. For your credentials, capitalize the names of actual courses, schools, and subjects. Do not capitalize when you are making a general reference.Fragment SentencesA fragment is part of a sentence that is punctuated as though it were a complete sentence. To combat fragment sentences, read through each sentence on its own. Does it make sense standing alone or out of context? Does it still convey a though t? If not, it needs to be merged with another sentence to become complete. This strengthens your writing and the stance you take in it.Every professional can benefit from learning how to write well because it could be the catalyst that catches a hiring managers eye and gets you a job interview or it could impress your boss which could result in a raise or promotion.Source A Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage

How to Write a Resignation Letter From a Template

How to Write a Resignation Letter From a TemplateHow to Write a Resignation Letter From a TemplateUse this resignation letter template to craft your own resignation letter for your employer. Whatever reason you have for resigning from your job, this resignation letter template provides a guide for how you should professionally resign. You want to leave a positive final impression when you make an exit from your job. A positive, professional resignation letter will help you leave that positive impression. Resignation Letter Template Begin your resignation letter with a standard date, personenname of theaddressee, usually your direct manager or supervisor, and the company address, just as you would start any business letter. If you have personal stationery, plan to print the resignation letter to fit your stationery using your home printer. If not, you can use a plain piece of quality white paper to print your resignation letter. Never write a resignation letter using your current employers stationery, just as you would never, ever use your current employers stationery or envelopes to mail out resumes or applications when you are job searching. (Dont laugh. Employers receive resumes in employer envelopes regularly- fortunately, this practice is diminishing with online applications.) Date Employer Contact InformationName of ManagerTitle of ManagerCompany NameAddressCity, State Zip Code Address the resignation letter to your manager or supervisor. Use their first name if that is what you typically call them. You will also want to send a copy of your resignation letter to Human Resources. SalutationDear Name of Immediate Supervisor Opening the Resignation Letter Your first paragraph of your resignation letter should state that you are resigning from your job and that this is your letter of resignation. You should offer your employer two weeks notice, and provide the last date of your employment. The purpose of this letter is to resign from my employment with Milton Company. My last day is (two weeks from the date of the letter). Expand Body of the Resignation Letter If you want to provide your manager with a reason for your resignation, you may. Make your reason sound favorable to your career, not negative about your current employment. Your resignation is for a new job, going back to school, or moving to another state, for example. Continue to project a professional image as this resignation letter will reside permanently in your employee personnel file. I am resigning from my job because I have been offered and accepted a new job that will give me the opportunity to become a supervisor. The new job is also a chance for me to learn about working in a global marketplace. If all goes well, I will travel grenzberschreitendly to set up several new sales locations. As you know, I have wanted to obtain international experience. ExpandIn the next paragraph in the body of your resignation letter, it is appropriate to express a positive rem ark or two about your current employment. I will miss working with you. Milton Company has given me many opportunities to develop my career, learn about our industry, and hopefully, contribute to our customers satisfaction. Your coaching and support have been valuable to me for the past couple of years. I know that I will also miss my coworkers and customers. I want you to know that my memories of this job and employer will always remain positive. Expand Closing the Resignation Letter Your final paragraph of the resignation letter should offer your employer positive wishes for ongoing success. You will also want to offer your services to help your employer transition a new employee into the job from which you are resigning. I wish the Milton Company nothing but the best in your future endeavors. Let me know what I can do to help you transition my responsibilities to a coworker or a new employee. Its not my intention to leave you with a problem, but I know that I will be extremely busy learning my new job when I start in two weeks. ExpandEnd your resignation letter with your favorite closing such as sincerely, warmly, best, or regards. Then, type and sign your name to the resignation letter. Copy to Human Resources. ClosingSincerely,Employee SignatureEmployee NameCopy to Human Resources

What Does Career Change Resume Sample Mean?

What Does Career Change Resume Sample Mean? If you have not ever used samples to make your own resume, then you are going to get this information not merely intriguing but beneficial also. Having plenty of skills and knowledge inside your field is an immense advantage, so your resume needs to create the the majority of it. People changing careers have to make sure their resume shows the complete breadth of their skills operations leadership administration. It will reveal to you just how to highlight your experience to generate the very best possible impression on employers in whichever field of work you wish to pursue. Assure which you are conscious of the needs of the work standort that you wish to have so you may incorporate some of your abilities and abilities that could be helpful to the operations of the company. Transferable Skills There are a lot of core abilities and competencies that could be applied to a number of different careers. If youre feeling undervalued at your present job, it can impact your morale and your capacity to do at your greatest level. You need to assist the individual reading your resume to pick out skills and individual qualities you possess that make you a great fit. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Career Change Resume Sample Is Wrong Below, you will locate a career change resume sample that shows you the way to highlight your most relevant abilities and education when making a switch to some other career. In your objective statement demonstrate what its possible to add to the new position and the organization and why youre a fantastic fit for your new career. A career change may be an exciting time, but you desire to be sure youre well ready to go into a new industry by updating your resume. If you dont need to compete in the work market for quite a while, the advantage of having an expert from our resume-writing service on your side is just what you will need. The Number One Question You Must Ask for C areer Change Resume Sample By carefully targeting resumes for particular jobs and situations, youre able to greatly enhance your odds of getting noticed in the work industry. List all positions pertinent to the business or position youre applying to. Resume objective statements, if used, should illustrate what you could do for the prospective employer rather than that which youve done previously for your prior business. In the event you had different jobs, even if it was for the exact same company, it may also have been two unique businesses. TopResume is here in order to help. Modifying your career to another field doesnt indicate youre at a disadvantage. Career changes are somewhat more common than you may think. Review your career thus far. Writing a resume can be an intimidating task. To do this, you are going to want to become well versed in your intended industrys terminology so you may express your prior experience and techniques in terms your new audience will unde rstand and appreciate, Augustine explains. Most resumes show a lot of work history that is suitable for the work description. Resumes that weave aesthetics in with top quality content are more inclined to catch their attention. Read the job descriptions and partie specifications for work in the field you desire to submit an application for. Above all, you should know the work description. Include only relevant info to the job that you are applying for. For instance, if youre asking for a job for a lab technician it may not be essential to include skills you learned in customer support. If you are searching for Acting Profile Sample youve come to the proper location. You might also want to pick a professional that offers additional job seeking services too. Know what its possible to bring to the business. During an interview, you ought to be in a position to speak about yourself in addition to the organization you are trying to find employment with. The Hidden Truth Abou t Career Change Resume Sample When you send your resume off to a prospective employer, bear in mind that the individual reviewing resumes may need to weed through a substantial number of applicants before choosing which candidates to invite in the office for an interview. The ideal way to get started is to study the field youre attempting to break into to comprehend what hiring managers want from their workers. It isnt always easy deciding whether to take a new job. It can look a whole lot different than that which youre utilised to A career objective is a brief statement that defines the position youre seeking, schauplatz the tone for the remainder of your resume. You get started making huge progress since you become consistent. Conversely its hard to spot a timeline of skilled growth in a functional resume. If youre in the middle of a career change, your resume might not be relevant to the position youre applying for. Focus on what you could provide the employer rather than that which you aspire to learn or gain. You should incorporate a Career Summary (or Professional Profile) at the start of your resume to establish who you are, what youve got to offer and exactly what youre searching for, and it has to be tailored specifically to the position youre applying for. Research has revealed that the typical worker switches jobs 10 to 15 times over the span of a career.

2uyMVnr

?These Remote Jobs Are Worth Applying To... (especially this one from NomNom Insights ??) bit.ly/2uyMVnr We need gender neutral dress codes in the workplace. If you dont yet agree with that statement, look no farther than a 55-page presentation given to women executives at Ernst Young in a June 2018 training. pThe presentation, which made headlines last month when an offended participant a href=https//www.huffpost.com/entry/women-ernst-young-how-to-dress-act-around-men_n_5da721eee4b002e33e78606a target=_blankleaked it to the Huffington Post/a, reinforced gendered stereotypes of how women should dress and present themselves at work. Some highlights, which are actually lowlights in terms of equality in the workforce/pul class=ee-ul ee-ulliA list of appearance blunders for women to avoid, including no-nos like too-short skirts, plunging necklines, bottle blonde, flashy jewelry/liliOutfit and grooming suggestions to minimize distractions from your skills sic s et like good haircut, manicured nails, and well-cut attire/liliAdvice on how to dress dont flaunt your body sexuality scrambles the mind/li/ulpThe women, there to invest in their professional development, were not learning how to be better leaders or combat sexist stereotypes at work, but instead were being lectured to about what to wear and how to groom themselves./ppWhile the presentation wasnt the official EampY dress code, it does highlight bias and assumptions made around gender that women have to manage. And this particular training focused only on the male-female binary. Employees who identify as transgender or nonbinary might feel even more burdened by dress code policies based on gender. /ppImagine how much more productive all employees, regardless of gender, could be, if they werent focused on avoiding dress code policing./ppTraditional gender-based dress codes can also discriminate on the basis of race. Many grooming guidelines for women, including rules on acceptable ha ircuts, are extra burdens for black employees, particularly those who want to wear their hair in natural styles. a href=https//daily.jstor.org/how-natural-black-hair-at-work-became-a-civil-rights-issue/ target=_blankIn 2010, Chastity Jones got a job offer/a to be a customer service representative from Catastrophe Management Solutionsbut the offer was contingent on her cutting off her locs. When she refused, the company took back the job offer, and when she sued, with the help of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she lost her case in 2013 and again in 2016, when her appeal was dismissed. /ppAnd beyond forcing women of color to maintain their hair in a way thats deemed acceptable, gender-based dress codes can also discriminate against people of certain religions. Employees whose faiths keep them from cutting their hair or necessitate that they wear certain clothing (including head coverings) shouldnt be forced to adapt their beliefs to what their employer deems professional ly appropriate for a woman at work./ppThe possibility for gender-, race-, and faith-based discrimination posed by prescriptive employee dress codes has a href=https//www.hrc.org/resources/workplace-dress-codes-and-transgender-employees target=_blankled the Human Rights Campaign to recommend/a that if an employer has a dress code, it should modify it to avoid gender stereotypes and enforce it consistently. Requiring men to wear suits and women to wear skirts or dresses, while legal, is based on gender stereotypes. Alternatively, codes that require attire professionally appropriate to the office or unit in which an employee works are gender-neutral./ph3Okay, So Gender Neutral Dress Codes Sound Good. What Do They Look Like?/h3pIn their simplest (which, in my opinion, also means best) form, gender neutral dress codes at the workplace can take the form of General Motors dress policy. When now-CEO Mary Barra was VP of global human resources for the automotive giant, a href=https//qz.com/w ork/1242801/gms-dress-code-is-only-two-words/ target=_blankshe replaced their 10-page dress code with two words/a Dress appropriately. /ppIn the article linked above, the author explains why Barras dress code works so well She avoided assumptions, instead choosing to trust her employees judgment, which in turn empowered all employees and was particularly impactful for women. /ppFor workplaces that need more specificity about what employees can wear, HR should follow in the footsteps of other institutions that have successfully adopted gender-neutral dress codes. Namely, high schools./ppAfter a wave of protests, social media outrage, and thoughtful advocating, a href=https//www.dispatch.com/news/20180919/more-schools-revamping-sexist-dress-codes target=_blankseveral schools have revamped their dress codes/a, which tended to put undue burden on female students. New guidelines apply to all students, regardless of their gender. Instead of specifying the length of skirts versus shorts or the width of a cami strap versus a tank top, a href=https//www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2019/07/15/gender-neutral-dress-code-gets-approval-roanoke-virginia-school-district/1734009001/ target=_blanka Virginia high schools new gender-neutral dress code/a simply defines what must be covered clothing must cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit, down to approximately three to four inches in length to the upper thighs./ppstrongWhat does that look like at work?/strong /ppSpell out specific dress code rules by article of clothing, not by gender, use non-gendered pronouns, and make sure that any grooming guidelines could apply to anyone. Dont place burdens on anyone based on their gender, and try to empower employees to manage their own appearance in accordance with professional expectations./ppFor business casual workplaces, try this, a href=https//www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2018/09/28/gender-based-dress-codes-human-resources-diversity-and-leg al-impact/355d9f064f53 target=_blankadapted from Forbes/a Employees should dress in business casual attire, which could include casual slacks and skirts, collared shirts, blouses, or sweaters. Inappropriate attire includes sportswear, jeans, and unkempt clothing, among other options. Please exercise good judgment./ppFor business formal workplaces, you could use the following Traditional business attire, including dresses, suits, and pantsuits, is required for external meetings with clients or prospects. Employees should use discretion on other occasions and are expected to demonstrate good judgment. /ppAnd for casual workplaces, which are on the risea href=http//blog.indeed.com/2019/08/20/casual-dress-in-workplace/ target=_blankaccording to Indeed/a, 50% of companies allow employees to dress casually every day, as of 2019go with something simple, like this, a href=https//www.thebalancecareers.com/simple-sample-dress-codes-for-business-attire-1917931 target=_blankadapted from The Bal ance/a Dress comfortably for work, but please do not wear anything that could offend your coworkers or make them feel uncomfortable. That includes clothing with profanity, hate speech, or exclusionary language. Your clothing, while casual, should show common sense and professionalism./ppNo matter the level of formality your dress code needs to define, make sure youre thinking from the perspective of all employeescurrent as well as futureand creating an environment where they can thrive./pp----/ppstrongWant to share these tips with your company? /strongShow them this handy one-page guide on creating a gender neutral dress code/p p class=shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image img alt=Gender Neutral Dress Code Guide class=rm-shortcode data-rm-shortcode-id=UGVL4K1574631551 data-rm-shortcode-name=rebelmouse-image data-runner-src=https//assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjEwMDE3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwi ZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU3NDc2NjEyMX0.5akget5uOA_9aHMcPUxY1YM_Zn2w2Yhcj7m_HSCqg7I/img.jpg?width=980 id=a14b6 type=lazy-image/ /ppbr//p

Ask Simply Hired Commuting, Cookies and Insomniac Bosses

Ask Simply Hired Commuting, Cookies and Insomniac BossesAsk Simply Hired Commuting, Cookies and Insomniac BossesAt Simply Hired we come across many questions from job seekers, from what to say to tough interview questions to how to know if you should quit your job. Here are answers to some of the common, and sometimes wacky, questions from job seekers.How far is too far to commute?The distance and time it takes to commute to a job is a personal preference. Some people wont take a job outside of their city, while others are willing to drive from hours away and stay in commuter hotels each week. When youre evaluating the commute of a potential new job, here are some factors to consider.Are there reliable public transit options available? By taking public transportation you can use your commute time to get in some extra work or relax.What is your tolerance for traffic? Dont let an attractive salary fool you into thinking a commute is better than it is. If you get frustrated and impatien t in traffic the joy of a high salary will wear off quickly, and youll resent the time taken away from family or hobbies.How is your overall health? There is plenty of researchindicating that even a moderate commute can take a toll on health. Although research is never one size fits all, if you are already prone to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or anxiety, you may want to look for a job closer to home.Is working remotely an option? If you can successfully stay on track with your work from home (be honest) you might be able to handle a long commute if its only one or two days per week or if you can work flexible hours. If the job is otherwise a great fit, discuss this with the hiring manager when you negotiate your salary.How can I become a fortune cookie writer?Treat becoming a fortune cookie writer like you would any other writing job. Practice your writing by starting a personal blog or take freelance assignments from newspapers, magazines or established blogs. You can al so look for more formal writer jobs to build your resume. Additionally consider networking at food and baking events to meet contacts in the fortune cookie industry. Good luckHow can I find an office job if I dont have experience?If you dont yet have work experience, use the term entry level in your job search to find jobs and add the word office to your search to eliminate non-office jobs. Internships are also an option that often dont require previous experience.How do you get hired on the spot?Although walking into a company with a resume and being hired on the spot may have worked at some companies in the past, it is extremely uncommon in most industries today. Unless youre looking for a job in retail or food service, almost all companies prefer that you apply online or by email and go through their formal hiring process. You can help keep the hiring process moving along by being responsive and flexible when scheduling interviews and providing requested items (like work samples) promptly. But beyond that hiring can sometimes take a long time, so do prepare yourself for a little bit of frustration.How do you work for an insomniac?Do you have a babo who contacts you at all hours of the day? Here are two strategies to tame your insomniac boss.Clarify expectations. Perhaps your boss emails you because she prefers working late or odd hours,but she doesnt expect an answer until the next day. If youre not sure, then ask.Set boundaries. Your boss may not know that it bothers you to be contacted late. Before setting a precedent of always responding to midnight emails, give your boss an idea of what to expect from your work habits. You can say, I noticed you called me at 1130 last night, but Im usually asleep by 10. I just want to make sure you know that so you arent waiting on me for anything. Please leave me a voicemail if anything urgent comes up, and Ill make sure to jump on that task first thing in the morning.Do you have a question for Ask Simply Hired? Let us know at blogsimplyhired.com.

Job Interview Questions for Writers and Editors

Job Interview Questions for Writers and EditorsJob Interview Questions for Writers and EditorsIf youre a writer or editor looking for work, you already know you can write well, but you may be feeling nervous about an in-person interview. But, you can ace your interview by prepping with some common job interview questions for writers and editors. Practice is important for preparing for a job interview. Taking the initiative before an interview will likely make you appear cool, calm, and collected when you face your potential new employer. Your composure and knowledge alike can give you an edge over the competition. Questions About Personal Preferences To better understand you and your relationship to the written word, your interviewer will likely ask you about your personal interests and preferences. For example, what books, magazines, or newspapers do you enjoy reading? Youll need to do more than just rattle off a list of reading material. Be prepared to state why as well. The in terview may also ask if you read any blogs on writing and editing and which ones? He or she may also ask what you like about those particular blogs and websites. Your prospective employer may also ask you ifyou have a favoritestyle guideand why you prefer one over the others or how much experience you have with a specific style. Keep in mind, however, that many publications have a designated style guide thats similar to, but not the same as, one of the common styles. Newspapers commonly choose the Associated Press style guide, so your preference isnt likely to sway your employer to choose an altogether different guide. On the other hand, some news organizations use a style guide as a base and tweak the recommendations to meet their needs. Questions About Interpersonal Skills and Conflict Conflict is part of any job, so expect your interviewer to ask you how you handle tension andstressful situations. You might be asked how you would handle sensitive writers who question every ed it you make. You might also be questioned about how youwould handle a freelance writer who regularly hands in subpar work. Your interviewer will likely want to know how you handle the stress of deadlines. She might ask you to give an example of a time when you had to edit or write a piece under a strict deadline. Be able to describe how you ensured the deadline was met. The employer will also want to know how you prioritize assignments. For example, if you have a 300-page document thats a rush job and you must edit it by the end of the day, how would you approach the task? Alternatively, you might be asked to imagine youre faced with two projects with the same deadline. One client is easygoing while the other constantly calls to ask when it will be done. Which project do you make your top priority and why? Computer Software Programs and Content Management Systems In the 21st century, working as a writer or editor isnt just about putting words on a piece of paper. Employers want to know your experience with computer software programs and content management systems as well. You might be asked how well you know InDesign and quarkspeise and if you are familiar with any other page layout software. And dont be surprised if the interviewer asks you about your experience with web publishing using software such as WordPress. mora Job Interview Questions In addition tojob specific interview questionsfor writing and editing, you will also be asked more general questions about your employment history and education as well as your strengths, weaknesses, achievements, goals, and plans. Consult a list of the most common interview questions and examples of answers to prep for these sorts of questions. The best way to prepare for an interview is to answer the potential questions out loud or have a friend or colleague read the questions to you so you can practice in front of a live person. More Interview Preparedness Tips You want to make a great first impression at your interview so be sure to choose an outfit thats befitting of the job and company you hope to work for. Business dress may be the most appropriate or perhaps business casual will do. If youre not sure how to dress, its probably better to dress up rather than dress down.

The College Students Guide to a Winning Resume

The College Students Guide to a Winning ResumeThe College Students Guide to a Winning ResumeBy Deborah FedericoGone in sixty seconds. Recruiters spend less than a minute reviewing your resume. With a stack of resumes to review, recruiters naturally want to make their workload easier, tossing bad resumes right off the bat. Reasons for your resume to be quickly tossed into the No pile Typos, misspellings, mismatched fonts, a sloppy appearance. Even a resume thats too text heavy or runs onto two pages will get thrown into the discard pile.Every time I teach my class on resume writing, I always start the lecture with the question, What is the goal of a resume? Is it to get a job? as most students will answer? To them, I say, No, thats not it. Eventually, someone guesses the real goal of a resume to get an interview. I make the absatzwirtschaft analogy that the resume is an advertisement about you, and you need to make the most of that 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper. Sell yourself to the e mployer by convincing them that youre the best candidate to bring in for the interview.So, what can you do to increase the chances that your resume will be read by the recruiter? Follow my lucky 13 tips outlined below, and you will produce a winning resume that not only gains the attention of the recruiter, but also garners his or her admiration. Pretty soon your phone will be ringing with calls from recruiters inviting you in for an interview.Length Keep your resume to one page. No exceptions.Formatting Your resume should look clean and readable with plenty of white space to make it inviting. Keep the font size consistent and use bolding or italicization for effect. Stay away from cutesy fonts or graphics. Some students will tell me that they want to get attention that way. I tell them that the only attention they get will be the negative kind. Put your energies into the content.Contact information Make sure your email address is professional. Sticking with your name is the best be t. Again, this is not the place to be creative by using addresses like surferdude87 or hotchick143. Put both your permanent address and school address on your resume. If you have room for only one, put the address on thats closest to the job location. I worked with a student once who wasnt getting any interviews despite having a terrific resume. The problem? She had put her home address in New Jersey down while applying for full-time positions in Boston.Use bullet points I highly recommend using bullet points on your resume. Stick with the standard kind of bullets. If you decide to use paragraphs, make sure you write concise readable prose.(Okay, by now youre probably thinking, How will I get my resume to stand out if its just like everyone elses? Just keep reading)Use action statements That means starting each bullet point with an active verb (avoid words like assisted, helped, worked or aided). Use verbs that are relevant to your industry, e.g. design or create for the fashion ind ustry or calculate or audit for the accounting field.Avoid laundry lists Dont use phrases like responsibilities or duties included, then proceed to list everything you did at a particular job in one long bullet point. First of all, this is boring to read and, secondly, youre shortchanging yourself. When I work with students on dissecting these long statements, we very often break them into two or three active statements , highlighting accomplishments, results and purpose.Quantify when possible. Numbers always make a point stronger. For example, instead of saying something like, service customers by answering questions, selecting appropriate merchandise and processing abverkauf on register in order to meet sales goals, try, service 50 customers per shift by answering questions, selecting appropriate merchandise and processing sales on register in order to consistently meet and surpass daily sales goal of $500.Highlight accomplishments and results In the example above, the accomplishm ent is that this student consistently met the sales goal of $500. When writing your bullet points, think about what you accomplished or achieved. If you were a tutor, did you help students improve their test scores? If you were a server in a restaurant, did your persuasive upselling techniques result in increased profits for the restaurant? To make your statements even more powerful, start with the accomplishment, e.g., Achieved highest monthly sales out of 10 salespeople by.State the purpose of what you did Whenever I show students how to do this, their statements always end up being so much stronger. Think about what the purpose was of what you did, and put that at the end of your point. Sometimes students think that what they did was insignificant, but by adding the purpose to the statement, it makes them realize that it wasnt. Which is better Researched demographic variables and environment factors in the childrens toy market? Or Researched demographic variables and environment factors in the childrens toy market for clients use in new product development.?Prioritize your bullets When ordering your bullet points, always think, If the recruiter only had time to read my first or perhaps second bullet, what would I want him or her to read? Most students think that they have to list their bullet points based on what they did the most. If 75% of their job involved cold-calling prospective clients, they will want to list that first. However, if they worked on a project that was presented to the CEO of the company, then by all means, that should come firstCategorize your Experience section Because work experience needs to be presented in reverse chronological order, many students are faced with the problem of having to put their current job first, which is often a part-time job unrelated to what they want to do, while they did a terrific internship last summer and want to showcase that. What to do? Simply break your experience section in two Relevant Experience a nd Other Experience.Target your resume Many students will have a master resume from which they create more specific, targeted resumes for the different industries they want to work in. If a student is simultaneously pursuing internships in marketing and finance, he will have a marketing resume that has his marketing-related team projects, which uses lost of marketing keywords, while his finance resume will do just the opposite. Tip Look at the job description for key words to incorporate into your resume.What to include on your resume In addition to your education, include work experience, both relevant and not, volunteer experience, college activities/clubs/organizations, leadership roles, team projects, skills and interests. Interests are great conversation starters in an interview. So often students will tell me they made a connection with their interviewer by talking about a mutual interest. In short, your resume should provide a picture of a student who is well rounded. A word about GPA the standard rule of thumb is to put it on your resume if it is greater than 3.0.Deborah Federico is an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Services in the School of Management at Boston University. Prior to her career in higher education, Deborah worked in the corporate world, primarily doing marketing and market research. She blogs about career advice here and her LinkedIn profile is here.