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It can be tough getting that promotion at work, especially when you're not sure how to show you deserve one. If you want to get a promotion (and a raise!), attend this live event and learn how to make the case for a higher job title and salary.
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In order to have a productive discussion about career growth with your boss, it is important for you to prepare and think through some key items ahead of time. You want to be in full control of your career path and the best way to do that is to approach your manager with confidence and conviction around your career growth goals.
To prepare for the discussion, start by answering some basic questions about yourself and your career:
What is your personal branding statement with regard to your career?
This response should focus on what you hope to achieve in your career.
What are your values?
This response should include your top five values in life. The importance of answering this question is to be sure your career goals match your current values. For example, if you value innovation, that influences your career choice and objectives.
What are your motivators?
This response includes examples of what motivates you. Is it fast-paced work with short deadlines? Is it structured work or flexible work? As with your values, you want to be sure your career objectives align with your motivators.
What is your short-term career objective?
This response should be about where you see yourself in the next 12 months. If you want to be in a new assignment, then you should state that, as well as what that assignment could be. If you want to remain in your current role but perhaps take on additional duties, then include that information in this question response.
What is your long-term career objective?
This response highlights your ultimate career growth objective. Some people do not know what this is, but if you do, it is important to share it with your manager. This helps your career plan to be tailored toward reaching your ultimate career goals.
What are your strengths?
This response focuses on your current strengths that you can leverage as you grow in your career.
What are your developmental areas?
This is about the areas where you need to grow so you can reach your career objective.
What are you willing to do in the next 12 months to reach your career objective(s)?
This response should focus on some specific, tactical items (SMART goals) that you can work on over the next 12 months. Consider this your action plan to reach your objective.
After you have these questions answered and feel comfortable with your responses, it is time to share this information with your manager. Ask your boss for input on your career growth objectives and whether they feel these are reasonable and achievable.
Ask them for input on your strengths and development areas and also request their support of your action plan. This will aid in your ability to be successful in reaching your objectives.
By taking the time to answer these questions and prepare for your career discussion, it will be much more productive and, hopefully, a more engaging discussion for both you and your manager.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
A lot of people tell you to follow your passion, follow your dreams, or do what makes you happy. But how many people are really doing it?
Survey after survey indicates that the majority of employees are unhappy in their professions or wished they had pursued other passions earlier. So, why do they stay?
In reality, it may be a case of not really understanding what they want to do. Finding your work passion is tough when you have no idea where to start. However, the alternative of not figuring it out can leave you even more unhappy, bitter, and unproductive.
When you realize you want to do something else but have no idea where to begin, follow these steps to get started:
In order to find your work passion, you have to evaluate what drives you. What makes you tick? What issues do you feel particularly excited about? What cause or stance would make you drop everything to make life better?
Answering these questions can help you to assess your interests and decide where you can place them in your professional life. They can also help you create an interview bucket list, which is vital to a strategic job search.
Not every interest translates into a career. For example, just because you love soccer doesn't mean you can make a career out of it. Instead, focus on the strengths that you have and connect these strengths to a career path. So, for the person who's interested in soccer, perhaps you also have a real interest in how the sport is marketed. You may want to look into sports marketing positions, which can fulfill both interests.
(P.S. If you want to know which careers you'd thrive in based on your workplace persona, check out our free quiz!)
You may be a great public speaker. However, that doesn't mean you should be the president.
Setting realistic expectations can help you to navigate these strengths into a suitable career. While not everyone can be the president, you can pursue public speaking opportunities elsewhere. To help you, try making a list of all of the jobs you would like to have and narrow them down to jobs you have the most chance of actually landing.
Networking and gaining the right connections can have dual benefits. First, networking can help you meet people with similar dreams and work passions. These connections can then let you know how they got to where they are, share pros and cons about your passion, and provide some real insight into what you can expect.
Next, networking and gaining the right connections can help you break into an industry. Think of it as that golden ticket to finding and then landing those jobs you would do anything for. This is particularly vital to those who haven't worked in the given space, even if they love it.
Being bold can get you far in life. It's how so many innovators and leaders reached that level of greatness.
While your work passion may be out there, it's necessary to pursue it if it's important enough to you. Sure, it's probably going to take a lot of hours and late nights. However, being bold means taking the good with the bad and moving forward with the notion that it's all worth it. And if it's not worth it, then you can move on to something that is.
Finding your work passion and relevant jobs when you have no idea where to start can be very frustrating. However, once you understand what your passion is, you can get busy getting your life started, and be happier because of it.
If you could use more help figuring out what you're passionate about, we're here for you!
When I first started as a call centre trainer, I listened to a sales team leader’s briefing. Like many naturally talented salespeople, he couldn’t explain how he was so good.
He told his team to build rapport with their customers. One recent recruit asked: “How do we build rapport?” He replied: “Be yourself!”
I thought to myself: “What does that mean? There must be a way to train for this.”
I did some research on the internet and found various techniques. These are the top four which I included in the first training session of our agents’ onboarding course.
1. Use the other person’s name
Dale Carnegie said people like nothing more than the sound of their own name. Using a person’s name can get and hold their attention very effectively. Like all games, this one has rules.
Make sure you know how to pronounce it. I work with people from all over the world. I often first see their names in written form. So I will ask them, “How do I pronounce your name?” No one wants to hear someone mispronounce their name, and they will appreciate that you have taken the trouble to say it correctly.
Don’t overuse it. The classic stereotype of the “slimy sales guy” uses a customer’s name at the end of every sentence. Use the person’s name at the start of the conversation, and then at points where you want her to pay special attention. That should not be more than once or twice.
Names can be a sensitive topic. In the English-speaking world, using first names with complete strangers is considered normal. In the Czech Republic, it’s still common to use “Mr.”/“Mrs.” and a surname. Be careful to fit in with what’s normal for their culture, or you could be seen as disrespectful.
2. Question, answer, comment (QAC)
When two people talk for the first time, they often ask each other questions.
At a conference, you might ask: “What do you think of the event?”
When your partner replies, respond with a comment before asking the next question. Here’s an example:
“What do you think of the event?”
“It’s not what I expected. I was hoping there would be more presentations.”
“Really? What aspect of XYZ are you interested in?”
The comment, “Really?” shows you are interested in her answer.
Two points to note: your comment needs to be appropriate to the answer, and you should not use the same comment for every answer, otherwise, you will sound like a bored telemarketer.
3. Something in common
Finding something in common with the other person is a good rapport-building technique. If you are talking to someone, you are in the same physical or virtual environment.
You could ask a question or comment about the event you are both attending.
You could comment about the signal quality of the video conference call you are on.
If you meet face to face, you could do the classic British thing and talk about the weather!
You could also volunteer some personal information, such as mentioning your children or pets. People love to respond with a similar comment of their own. Suddenly, you find that you both have teenage sons or Jack Russell terriers. You have something in common to talk about!
4. Humour
This is the most effective, but the riskiest way to build rapport. Humour is usually culturally specific. What makes one person laugh could leave another person cold, or even get you a fist in the face.
I wait for the other person to make the first joke, to gauge what works for her.
If you’re going to make a joke, don’t make a joke at the expense of anyone you are talking to.
I know someone who was talking to the managing director of another company. He made a humorous comment about salespeople. The managing director had spent the first 20 years of his career in sales.
You may think that self-deprecatory humour is a safe option, but in some cultures, making jokes about yourself is seen as a sign of insecurity and weakness.
Start by watching other people and how they build rapport.
Watch what other people do in meetings or conversations. Watch TV or films where people have conversations. Police dramas are great since police officers usually try to build rapport with witnesses and suspects who they interview.
Start actively practicing by trying one technique at a time in conversations. Watch how your conversational partners react, and take that as feedback.
I used a practice activity where every new trainee had to ask the other trainees five questions to get to know each other. They had to use rapport-building techniques. Fifteen minutes after the exercise kicked off, the classroom sounded like a party!
If you go to a networking event, prepare four or five simple questions and go around the room and try to talk to everyone, using the rapport-building techniques. See how they react.
I love hearing how people get on when they use these techniques, what works for them and what doesn’t. Send me a message and let me know how you got on!
Part One: Data Strategy Is More Important than Ever in an Age of AI.
This will be a multiple-part series on data strategy and how it is the precursor to data management and data governance.
Firms often skip many essential steps to creating a data strategy favoring data lineage/governance, usually for regulatory compliance rather than creating a holistic yet integrated vision for data. While practicality is always good, it can be at the bane of getting the most out of the firm's data over time. When a data strategy does not guide data governance, this keeps data governance in a defensive position in general; it is a big mistake that keeps data governance in the basement of the organization, being perceived as a cost center and not the revenue and monetization driver that data governance can be.
Let's start with what a data strategy is and why your organization needs one. Then we will discuss in future articles how data governance needs a tighter connection to strategy.
Data strategy and how I like to think about it is a sharp vision for how your data is organized and turned into knowledge throughout the organization.
There is data, information, and knowledge. Each of these has some organization of data and planned use cases. I like this pyramid or hierarchy paradigm for data strategy. As you go higher, it's about generating insights and improving the quality of decisions based on clean fit-for-purpose quality data.
Some key considerations in your data strategy, and I will not prescribe the answers to these considerations here:
1) How do you define quality data?
2) Who gets to move data and to where?
3) Is there a planned level of data duplication, or is it, as they say, the "Wild West" with replication all over the place?
4) Do we want to have one version of the truth or multiple versions of the truth? What are the risks and benefits of each?
5) Are we using an ETL process or ELT in the age of big data?
6) What types of data models are we using? Logical layers (star Schemas) no SQL, blob storage?
7) Are we using open gardens or data lakes, or a pond approach?
8) How do we define our data fabric at the firm?
9) What newer tools do we use for moving data. Are we using AI-based tools (RPA, etc.)?
10) Who can access PII or NPII data, and how do we create highly secured data zones?
11) How many self-service analytics tools do we allow? Do we need both PowerBI and Tableau?
12) Do we have an on-prem cloud approach or a full-on cloud data strategy?
13) Where do AI and cognitive technologies get their data?
14) Do we have transparency in business rules and algorithms that drive our business?
15) How do we monetize our data, and at what point in the data lifecycle?
16) How many customer keys or unique identifiers do we carry?.
17) What is the role of generative AI?
18) How do we resolve the identities of both prospects and customers?
19) Who owns the data? Do we have producers and consumer-defined roles?
20) Do we have a centralized or decentralized approach to data management, and is our organization clear about how we operate?
There is no formal data strategy if the firm doesn't have clear answers to many of these questions. In addition, a data strategy is not a data management framework, which would come next once you have defined the strategy.
"Why is this important?" you ask. It will help you set the priorities for data governance and data management organizations (DMOs), rather than just having them fall into a project or two and perhaps only viewing them as the people who handle compliance issues or controls. Remember DMOs, enable data science, marketing automation, AI, CRM, and many other revenue-generating functions. An integrated enterprise data strategy will allow you to scale your data management and governance efforts, making the work more important and meaningful and increasing the focus on the business objectives and ROI.
I look forward to your thoughts on why you think the tail is often wagging the dog regarding data governance versus data strategy.
In our next issue, I will discuss master data management and data governance in detail.
Today, more and more employers are conducting phone interviews before inviting job candidates to an in-person meeting. With more applicants available for each opening, employers do not have the time to invest in a meeting for every candidate that simply looks good on paper.
Phone interviews make it easier to screen candidates. Some of these phone interviews may include standard questions that ask about facts, such as your experience and any specific skills you have. However, there are also employers who dive right into some of the most challenging questions, such as giving you a scenario and asking for your response and plan to handle the situation described.
As a job applicant, there are benefits and disadvantages to a phone interview. Some people are well-spoken and are great on the phone, but in person, their nervousness gets to them. Some are more comfortable speaking in person but lack personality on the phone. Under both situations, it can be a challenge when you don’t have feedback that may typically appear through face-to-face contact.
Regardless of the situation, you need to put your best voice forward to leave the employer with a good impression. This may be the only shot you have at getting a step closer to securing a job offer with them. Remember that the employer may change their mind about inviting you in for an interview if you fall short of their expectations or leave a negative impression on the phone.
Note that in a phone interview, your intonation is most important in how you come across, so you should be energetic and enthusiastic and change your tone to better engage the interviewer. You should also be prepared to ask some basic questions, although save the big ones for a formal interview.
Take the tips offered here to help put your best voice forward and further advance on an opportunity to a job offer:
Phone interviews may not always be scheduled. An employer may call you to respond to your submitted cover letter and resume, and the moment you pick up the phone an interview may occur right then.
Most employers will be courteous to first ask you if this is a good time, but that does not always happen. So, if you believe there is a chance an employer may be calling, be prepared by providing a professional greeting on your voicemail or when you pick up. Also, be conscious of what the caller may hear in the background if you pick up the phone. If it’s not an appropriate time or place to talk, let it go to voicemail, but try to call back immediately when it is more appropriate for you to talk.
Since the interviewer will not see your face, all they have to work off of is the voice you present, so make sure it sounds enthusiastic and energized with confidence. Try keeping a smile on your face as you talk and be aware of your tone and pitch so you do not come off sounding monotone.
Keep a “can do” attitude when you talk. It will leave a more positive impression than if an employer were to hear, “I can’t,” “I don’t,” or “I haven’t.” Also, be conscious of how you speak; avoid the “Ahs,” “Errs,” and “Ums.” You can come across as unsure of yourself and lacking in confidence.
Many people list their cell phone number on job applications, cover letters, and resumes, which is fine, as long as when the phone is answered you have good reception. If you are the one initiating the phone call, use a landline to avoid static or dropped calls. It's also important to find a quiet location where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
Keep in mind points that you can use to help explain how your previous experiences or skills make you a good fit for the open position. Also, always have questions in mind to ask during the interview that show your interest and desire to work with the company. Don’t forget to also keep your resume, a sheet of paper, and a pen on hand. You’ll need these items for reference or to take notes while on the call.
Interviews, whether in person or over the phone, should end with an understanding of what the next steps are. If it was not covered, be sure to ask. The employer may also view this question in a positive way that you care about this opportunity and have a desire for it.
Remember, phone interviews deserve a follow-up thank-you note or email to the individual(s) you spoke with—just as you would do after an in-person interview.
Treat phone interviews as important as face-to-face interviews. The impression you make on the phone will also be taken into consideration when the employer is trying to decide between you and another candidate for the position.
We know how difficult it can be to ace a job interview, on the phone or in person. If you're still not feeling confident in your interview abilities, we can help.
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.
There are typically two different situations that a job seeker with an incomplete degree can be in. Either you didn't finish your degree and don't plan to, or you're currently completing it. I know job seekers in both situations and there is a great way to handle the incomplete degree scenario.
So how do you address your incomplete education on your resume?
Let's look at both scenarios: those job seekers currently pursuing a degree, and those who've decided not to return to school.
I personally think it's important to include your degree or coursework on your resume, especially when it's related to your current or desired career field. There are two ways I would suggest tackling this:
1. List the college you went to, the program area you studied, and dates you attended school. You're not including a degree here because one was not awarded.
2. State the university you attended, relevant courses you completed (especially if they're related to a position you're pursuing), and dates you attended the school.
You have to be careful when including this information on your resume. You don't want to mislead an employer into thinking you have a degree that you don't have. This can come back to bite you if you're offered the position and they fact-check.
Plus, the goal here isn't to deceive anyone into thinking that you have a degree you don't actually have. The goal is to include any education you have received—which, in my opinion, is important to show.
You should absolutely include information about pursuing a degree on your resume—especially if the position requires whatever degree or certification you're pursuing. There are two great ways to handle including this information on your resume:
1. State the college you're attending, degree you're pursuing, your area of study, current GPA (if 3.0 or higher) and include your anticipated graduation date; this is very important if your graduation date is within the next 12 months.
2. List the university you're attending, degree you're pursuing, area of study, current GPA (if 3.0 or higher), and the words In Progress. This works well if you're still going to be in school for a couple of years.
If the degree or certification is a requirement for the opportunity and it has been recently obtained or will soon be completed, I recommend putting your education information at the top of the resume.
If the degree or education you have isn't required or directly related to the position, put it at the end of the resume. This is also the case if you want to share with the employer that you have some education but you don't want to advertise that you didn't complete your education.
No matter if you're a college dropout or a current college student, your resume can look complete and professional with these two strategies!
Need more help writing your resume? We're here for you!
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you write your resume—the right way.
It’s exciting, no doubt about it. Your expertise, hard work, and perseverance paid off. You got the big promotion you were working toward. Then, along with exuberance, reality sets in with a bit of nerves for this new challenge. Now you have to deliver.
Even though promotions are exhilarating, they can also leave recipients uneasy about the change. Going from a position where you had proven yourself into a position with some inherent uncertainty will put a knot in the most confident stomachs.
Oftentimes, the easiest kind of promotion is where you’re promoted into a new environment with a new team to work with. That is like a clean slate. Much harder can be the transition within a business unit. Not to mention, the move from peer to boss can definitely be a minefield. Like it or not, we create an identity at work and many of our co-workers identify us with our role. Change our role or give us more responsibility, and people around us sometimes have difficulty adapting. There are also occasions when the person promoted has difficulty adjusting.
Let’s take a look at some of the steps the newly promoted can take to ensure a smooth, effective transition.
Embrace the newness and recognize your stakeholders—those affected by your work and your team’s work. Even if you are working with some of the same people, there is a good chance you have new stakeholders or new relationships with stakeholders. Meet with them and listen to their feedback. From employees to suppliers to customers to your boss, they will let you know what’s going well and what needs improvement from their perspectives.
Note the emphasis on listening. You don’t need to promise the world just because you’re in a new role. You are there to gather their feedback so you can ensure expectations are met. You will learn a lot when you actively listen and these people will notice your engagement.
Your promotion was a competitive process. Your boss saw something in you that persuaded them to give you this opportunity. There is almost always a learning curve to your new position, but during the transition, put together a plan for yourself and your role going forward. You bring a skill set, expertise, and a new perspective. These are all ways you can add value.
Determine 30-, 90-, and 180-day milestones about what you are going to learn and how you will proceed in making positive contributions. Utilize the SMART principle for goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound). The promotion is not the high water mark. You have greater things in store.
Be as transparent as possible about your goals and expectations. This communication should be the case up and down the chain of command, and you have to actively invite feedback and demonstrate a willingness to listen to it.
Once you have developed your plan and milestones, meet with your supervisor to discuss them. If you have not worked closely with this person before, it may be helpful to meet regularly, at least while you get your feet wet. Get to know his or her expectations and communication preferences. See to it that you’re both on the same page strategically and tactically.
The same holds true if you have any employees reporting to you. They should be aware of the direction you want them going in, and they should know how you prefer to communicate. Share your goals and plans. Research has shown that we are more successful at working toward goals and implementing new habits when we communicate them to others. We allow people to hold us accountable. In a team environment, there is no other way to move the needle.
Finally, you may be asking, “Why so much emphasis on communication preferences?” Relationships at work function much better when the individuals involved have clear understandings. This becomes even more important in workplaces with flexible schedules and working arrangements, different communication media available, and where teams are distributed and function in a virtual environment. Sending an urgent email to your boss when she only checks email once a day can be useless.
Taking the time to understand these important details can ultimately pave the way for cohesiveness and long-term success after your promotion. Good luck!
We know how tricky it can be to navigate a promotion at work. If you're struggling to adjust to your new role, we can help.
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Reading LinkedIn, you might think that the average office is a caring, sharing environment. Everyone adopts a nurturing attitude towards their colleagues. Managers give their staff kind words of encouragement even when they make expensive mistakes.
Perhaps your experience was different? Mine was.
I’ve worked with organizations where positivity and empathy were not among the corporate values.
Encounters with managers in the military, law enforcement, accounting firms, sales teams, and outsourced call centres can be bruising experiences.
So why would anyone tell a Navy chief petty officer, a tax inspector, or a Russian call centre manager that using positive and encouraging language might be a good idea? Why would they believe it?
Positive language makes working a more pleasant experience.
Staff are more likely to be productive, stay with the company instead of move on, and perhaps even persuade their friends to work there.
The financial benefits of increased productivity are obvious.
Reducing staff turnover means less time and effort spent recruiting and training replacements, and fewer periods of sub-par productivity from partially trained employees.
Most companies have “recommend a friend” schemes. The savings can be substantial. A UK company offers a GBP 1,000 bonus for staff who successfully recruit their friends. Most recruitment firms charge three months’ salary for the same thing. This could easily amount to two or three times the bonus, even for quite junior positions.
The frequent use of negative language has the opposite effect.
Resentful staff have less reason to be productive and so earn less for the company.
Resentful staff are more likely to leave at the first opportunity. HR will need to recruit and train more new hires to replace them. This costs more and has a negative impact on productivity.
Resentful staff are more likely to tell their friends and relatives how bad the company is to work for, so dissuading people from working there.
Positive language need not be sickly sweet. It has four distinct characteristics:
Surprisingly little. Here are some examples of negative phrases people use, and their more positive substitutes.
“You didn’t...”
This looks back to the past. It says what the person didn’t do without offering alternatives. It makes it clear that the fault lies with the listener. Suppose we replace this with “Next time, try...”? This looks forward. It doesn’t point the finger and it gives the listener an alternative course of action.
“You should/must...”
This is very forceful and puts the blame firmly on the listener. How would the listener react to “It would be better if you...” or maybe “We should/must...”? The first option presents an alternative course of action. If the issue is related to legal obligations or safety requirements, then saying “We should/must...” takes away the sting by emphasizing that everyone has to do it.
“You didn’t understand...”
As a trainer, I try to avoid saying this. If my trainee doesn’t understand, then that’s not her fault, it’s my fault. I didn’t present it properly. I prefer to say: “I didn’t tell you properly/clearly enough...”
These phrases are guaranteed to lead to fights and divorce proceedings.
“Yes, but...”
This says: “I have listened to you. It doesn’t matter.” Try replacing the word “but” with “and.” You’ll find that the conversation moves along faster and with less antagonism.
“You should have...”
This focuses on the past and the person’s “mistake.” It shows no respect for the listener and blames him for not having your superior knowledge. A more positive substitute might be: “Next time, try...” That conveys the same message, but looks forward to getting it right in the future.
“Why...?”
“Why” questions often sound like accusations. We all remember teachers asking us why we didn’t do our homework. “Why” questions often put people into “excuse giving” mode. They answer the question with excuses rather than properly thought-out root causes. Coaches recommend replacing “Why” with “What...?” transforming the question “Why didn’t you do your homework” into “What prevented you from doing your homework?"
“Calm down!”
Saying this usually has the opposite effect! It tells your listener that you do not care about their emotions. You just want them to stop expressing them. If you really want to help a person become less emotional, try telling him, “I want to help you, I need you to tell me what the problem is.” If the person shouts, it’s more effective if you take them aside and let them vent. Often, once the person has expressed their anger, they can speak more rationally and will apologize for their outbursts.
Think of the conversations you have had recently.
How many negative phrases have you heard? What effect did they have on you?
How many negative phrases have you used yourself? Now that you know more about positive and negative language, how would you conduct these conversations differently?
Once you’ve thought about these questions, get in touch and tell me your thoughts!
When you’re training your staff, your choice of language can have a massive effect on their learning. To find out more about how to train staff, please read my posts “Training for Non-Trainers” and “Explaining How Things Work: How To Do It And Why It Matters.”
Are you concerned about age discrimination? While most job seekers fear discrimination by hiring managers, the truth is that you’re more likely to be discriminated against by a computer.
Most 50-something or older job seekers don’t realize that the technology they leverage to apply for jobs may be screening them out of consideration. Sadly, this is one of the most common reasons that job seekers don’t get the interviews they want and deserve.
Here’s the key thing you need to know. The databases, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), that employers, recruiters, and job boards use to parse, store, and analyze incoming resumes are capable of estimating how much experience you possess. When recruiters or hiring executives search these databases for candidates with a certain amount of experience—let’s say 12-15 years—the ATS will screen out candidates who possess anything other than 12, 13, 14, or 15 years. As a result, your resume or LinkedIn profile will not be listed in the resulting candidate search. This eliminates your candidacy before a human even sees your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Please note that while job boards, companies, and recruiters are not intending to discriminate, the technology they are using to organize the flood of resumes they receive is doing so inadvertently. This means that every time your resume is entered into a job board system, company website, or recruiter website, the experience filtering described above may occur. It also means that your LinkedIn profile could be subjected to this same filtering process any time a company or recruiter searches for candidates like you with a specific amount of experience in mind.
If you’re currently in or plan to launch a part-time or full-time search for a new role, take time to age-proof your resume and LinkedIn profile. Three simple changes will boost your candidacy, help you attract more opportunities, and win you more job interviews:
While we strongly recommend a professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile picture (you can get one in most markets for $100-$200), an amateur photographer might work if you know one who takes good portrait shots. The key is an attractive pose that makes the most of your facial characteristics and personality while minimizing any age-related deficits.
If you have silver hair, for example, consider using a dark background or black & white photo to reduce the risk of a washed-out appearance. Select a pose that conveys energy and vitality and hints at the wisdom youth simply can’t replicate. Use a full-face smile to project energy with the photo and make sure you dress in interview-ready attire. You want to seem professional yet approachable.
It’s standard these days for most folks over 30 to omit education dates from resumes and their LinkedIn profile. This is easy enough to do on your resume where you can also omit dates of training, certifications, licensure, or affiliations.
In short, omit any date prior to 2000, since most recruiters only want to see the last 10-15 years of your experience on your resume or LinkedIn profile. To achieve this on LinkedIn, go to your profile and then edit your "Education" section. Select the “—“option in the drop-down box for your start and finish dates. Eliminate dates from other sections as well.
This is a little more complex but well worth doing. On your resume, list your post-2000 work experience in your "Work History" section and separate your pre-2000 experience into an "Additional Experience" section. For your pre-2000 jobs, omit your dates of employment and list the amounts instead. For example, if you worked at GE from 1992-2000, report that as “8 years.”
LinkedIn doesn’t allow members to omit dates from employment so your only choice is to eliminate pre-2000 jobs altogether. Try embedding a short version of older jobs in your first post-2000 listing or briefly noting relevant older roles in your LinkedIn summary. Either tactic will help you win more LinkedIn profile views.
While we don’t recommend using online job boards as a key component in an effective job search at almost any age (there are other more powerful and faster ways to create and pursue career opportunities for yourself), the truth is that these systems inadvertently “discriminate” against candidates with more than 15 years of work experience. Unfortunately, this same potential exists on LinkedIn and company/recruiter websites anytime a hiring manager or recruiter conducts a candidate search based on the amount of experience job seekers possess.
The good news is that a few simple tricks can protect your resume and LinkedIn profile from age discrimination and give you greater access to the career opportunities you want and deserve.
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Have you ever heard of a "lone wolf" culture or a "me" culture? It's common in corporate America, but if you're looking for a job, you should probably avoid companies with this type of workplace culture. Here's why...
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For many years, companies have been hiring what they call the "best" worker. They look for the best performer. And in the beginning, when a company hires employees like that, they see a lot of results because everybody's working their very hardest. But when you hire people to be the best, it gets competitive. Over time, you start to see the backstabbing and the politics. People protect themselves and throw each other under the bus. So the "lone wolf" or "me" cultures tap out. And, unfortunately, we have a lot of companies here in America that still have that "lone wolf" culture, and it's creating a lot of problems.
The solution is to evolve into a "we" culture where the best idea, the best process wins—where we don't look at individuals to be the best, we look at the team to create the best work. And that requires a culture shift.
If you want to know how to get hired at the "we" culture companies, the best places to work, check out my FREE community where professionals are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction, and overcome job burnout once and for all.
Sign up for my FREE community and become a Workplace Renegade today! My team and I are looking forward to working with you soon.
Finding a job as an executive is 10X HARDER than it is for less experienced professionals. That’s because your REPUTATION plays a large role in the opportunities you attract.
There’s fierce competition right now for executive-level positions. Knowing how to get the attention of headhunters and recruiters is vital to standing out and landing these coveted roles.
Ask yourself the following:
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J.T. O'Donnell has been in the HR, employment, and career coaching industry for 18+ years. She founded Work It Daily to disrupt the industry and bring career coaching and job search support to workers in all professions and at all skill levels.
With over 2.6M followers on LinkedIn and more than 1M on TikTok, O'Donnell is a proven expert in the area of online executive presence. O'Donnell designed this executive community to empower the next generation of leaders to build their reputations online so they can earn the trust and respect needed to make a larger impact within their industry and profession.
There are many positive things you can do that can help you get ahead at work. In fact, the value of these tasks is they make you more motivated—therefore, giving you the career boost you need.
I know. How can you ever feel enthusiastic about work, especially when you already feel sluggish with the same work after a few years? It is precisely this reason I ask you to be enthusiastic. To be enthusiastic at work is about a mental state. You need to make the decision to be enthusiastic. Start by saying, "I will be an eager participant in this project or task."
Attack your task with energy. Do not drag your feet. The more you tell yourself, "This is so boring," or whatever the excuse may be, the worse you will feel. Get interested in the work, and the energy will come naturally. Then, decide to be eagerly involved. You cannot get ahead at work without energy.
Strive to be the most efficient worker on your team. According to Webster's Universal College Dictionary, to be efficient means "performing or functioning effectively with the least waste of time and effort." When you are effective, you're producing the intended result. When you are efficient, you do it with the least waste of time and effort. That means you are capable and competent.
If you constantly strive to be the most efficient worker, then you will eventually get ahead in your career. You will get a career boost because you are the most capable and competent on the team.
Of the five things you can do to get ahead in the workplace, this one probably calls for you to give yourself some pressure. A little pressure is good since it makes you push yourself harder. Strive for excellence in everything you do. Do not be content with good. Go for great.
Exceed expectations by knowing good is sometimes not good enough. Give everything your utmost best. You will naturally see how this becomes your career booster. When you strive for excellence in everything you do, you naturally surpass others in your work.
Have you ever thought that showing up to work early can get you ahead at work? It can, especially when your workplace practices flextime. Many people take flextime for granted. They stroll in and out at their own pace, not knowing they have probably wasted productive time.
Start early at work. Some of my most productive days are those I start early before the phone rings and before my staff walks in with questions. Clear your emails from last night and craft that important email when there are no disturbances.
Make every effort to be the easiest person to work with in the office. Now, I am not saying compromise your need for excellence. For example, this means don't complain and grumble each time there is a team meeting. No one likes to work with someone who nags all the time.
When you are easy to work with, you make working enjoyable for your co-workers too. An upbeat workplace is welcomed everywhere, and you give yourself a competitive edge. That competitive edge is your career booster.
Want to know how your interact with your co-workers, and how it impacts your work? This FREE quiz will tell you your workplace strengths and how to use them to your advantage.
There is no need for complicated plans to get a career boost. Doing these simple things can help you get you ahead at work.
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To get good at it, our answer is yes...
Updated this article to include design principles and other elements, as CDOs and CDAOs continue to prove the value of data analytics to COOs and CEOs. The path to the C-suite is in proving the ROI of data analytics, setting up the tests, and providing the evidence.
As an analytics practitioner and leader, I have always stressed the need to create a predictable, repeatable, stable process for analytical data innovation. A data innovation process would help the firm monetize its critical data assets. A monetization capability has applications for several marketing and business domains such as campaign management, customer experience, product development, customer and prospect segmentation, and more (risk, etc.). A good data monetization process has at its core the ability to generate pilots every quarter to facilitate more significant tests and learning. Analytical data innovation has a direct impact on customer satisfaction and retention.
This article was written a few years back initially; however, at that time, the only thing we seemed to hear about was quick wins and not about setting up monetization and test and learn as a process. I posit that the continued focus on quick wins only and not creating a process for learning may be hindering analytical adoption and moving data analytics maturity to the next level. There are good quick wins and bad quick wins depending on whether they are measurable and scalable. It might now be time to suggest a more defined team and process be stood up within the CDAO and design worlds to hit the accelerator on monetizations. In some firms, particularly in Fintech, design practices joined at the hip with CDAOs are beginning to create such a process. My updates to the process are below.
The challenges in developing the analytical data innovation process include:
For each pilot, a monetization process needs to be followed, starting with defining the business case and vetting it with business partners and executives. Is the business willing to make changes and deploy the learnings? After gaining concurrence from the business partners, assemble the right team to keep the monetization effort on track, including executive sponsors, consultants/analytics experts, academics, design practice experts, prototyping firms, line of business sponsors, and IT.
To create the proper pilot development process, you can borrow from both Agile and SDLC, which ensures the formulation of the appropriate business and data requirements. Take the best elements from different project management methods to create the criteria. For example, a development process method can ensure success measures are established for the project.
The following steps are to perform feasibility analysis, create a prototype, and validate the pilot. For most analytical pilots, this involved creating test segmentations or models which can then be deployed in the market so one can read and validate the results. Some of the steps I have gone through in validating pilots included ensuring that we had actual data and systems to deploy the analytic solution. For example, some models require unique data sources to be able to score and implement them at their point of use.
The final step is to determine how far along the monetization cycle you will take an analytical pilot. For example, many times in segmentation, you may find a profitable segment but the segment cannot quickly grow or scale. On the other hand, a pilot that goes into implementation will require execution support and the establishment of success metrics. One new comment on this is that the pilot should have a definition of done and clear success metrics that the CEO and COO are aware of and endorses so that when the pilot is a success, it can be rolled out and celebrated.
My philosophy is to maintain a pipeline of analytical pilots, knowing that only 10%-20% will be fully monetized. This is the central premise behind the test that learns and fails fast and cheaply. Design practices can now help expand the number of pilots that are monetized. See Randy Bean's book Fail Fast Learn Faster for perspectives on this.
Ideally, there is enough diversity of pilots in the queue to generate new analytical products quarterly. This process is iterative as the pilots should be viewed as living solutions, and permanent departments, squads, and tribes should be set up to perpetuate this model.
Given that many CDAOs are still struggling with tenure and investment and proving the ROI, I want your thoughts on how this process can help and what you think is the state of the state is on test and learn and monetization. Are quick wins still quick, or does this process need to usurp quick wins?
Creating your resume, but stumped for ideas beyond your job titles, places of employment, and education? Getting employers to pick up the phone requires a much stronger brand message!
If you haven't focused on your ROI—the benefit companies get when hiring you—your job search can go on indefinitely. You might believe that recruiters or hiring managers will "get" this message from reading about your past jobs or span of authority. But guess what? With plenty of resumes to review, most hiring managers won't take the time to connect the dots in your background.
Therefore, if you've made a significant difference at past employers, but your resume doesn't provide this evidence, you'll lose your shot at landing an interview (while employers hire your competition instead).
So, as you write your resume, consider adding these quantifiable measures of your performance to emphasize your ROI and stand out to hiring managers.
Do you wear many hats at your current job? Employees who can perform more than one job simultaneously are often credited with improving the company's bottom line. On your resume, you'll be able to show the savings gained by helping your employer avoid the need to hire or train an additional staff member, as in these examples:
ROI can also be demonstrated by comparing your work to others on your team, or to a predecessor who held the same role prior to your tenure. You may be more efficient or better able to understand customer needs—saving your employer additional effort (such as multiple sales calls or additional work on technical problems)—than your counterparts. If so, put these savings into a dollar figure by calculating the cost of rework for use on your resume.
Remember: the key to demonstrating your ROI is by listing quantifiable information on your resume. This means adding numbers to each bullet point under your job titles.
Will anything get an employer's attention faster than telling them you'll bring sizeable profits? Probably not. However, unless you're in a sales role (or another revenue-specific job), you might find this exercise difficult. After all, how does a project manager or operations director make money for the company?
The secret to pulling out a revenue or profit figure (when your job isn't tied directly to money) is to look higher in the company for the impact of your work. This means taking into account the value of the project to your employer (a new service line that will create revenue opportunities), or the impact of the new equipment you implemented (improving production and fulfilling more orders). As in this example of a resume statement, your work as part of a larger effort can be conveyed in the impact of the entire project:
If your job involves technology, consider the monetary value of the improvements gained with a new solution you implemented. Once you put the emphasis on your work at a company or department level, the revenue or profit equation can make sense. Of course, you'll need to share the credit for increasing profits with your team or colleagues, but it's an important measure of your benefit to a new employer.
Cost savings are a high-priority area for many companies, especially those in industries directly affected by the pandemic. Of course, showing your impact on expenses is easy if you're the one negotiating new vendor contracts or preparing a budget. Even if your responsibilities don't seem related to costs, think about your ability to produce work faster or with less resources—then add the costs associated with this acceleration into your resume.
For example, an office manager who arranges shifts to cover the phone (without hiring an additional employee) is directly saving significant payroll and training costs. An IT director might be able to point out the projects completed in less time due to a newly acquired software tool, with related opportunity costs allowing the team to take on other projects. These examples show different ways to state cost savings on your resume:
Perhaps you've monitored expenses within your team, and figured out ways to generate the same amount of revenue with less overhead. These figures can be estimated, or specified in percentages of savings, to show your impact on costs.
The bottom line? Your employment automatically comes at a cost to your employer. If you can demonstrate a substantial ROI over the expense of hiring you, companies will be eager to bring you on board—even with a raise in salary—despite a competitive job market.
Need more help demonstrating your ROI on your resume? We're here for you!
While it's not so difficult to add a connection on LinkedIn when you already know the person, approaching someone you don't know, like a hiring manager, recruiter, the head of the department you want to work for, or a contact that can help get you through to the decision-maker is a different story.
Here are five tips on how to approach people you don't know, or don't know very well, and what you can say to get them to connect with you on LinkedIn:
Don't send a blank (or default) invitation to connect. It's unlikely that the person you're trying to connect with will accept it.
If it's a hiring manager who interviewed you, but you didn't get the job, it may still be a relationship worth maintaining. Your message could say, "Thank you for the interview opportunity. I would love to be considered for future positions that come up and have you as a professional connection no matter where we may possibly cross paths again."
The act of simply taking the time to write a personal message with your invitation makes you worthy of consideration.
In your LinkedIn connection request, find ways to form an instant bond by sharing what you have in common. For example, when you're both a member of the same group, club, or volunteer organization, it's easier to approach the individual.
People also want to know or be reminded of how you know them or found them. So you can say something like, "I'm also a member of XYZ on LinkedIn. I noticed you're the head of the marketing department at 123 Company, and I was hoping you could share some advice on how you got started in your career because I'm looking to pursue a similar path."
This approach is less likely to come off like a cold call. If there are other things you have in common, like a similar education or background, share that as well.
Whenever possible, it's easier to start an introduction with the help of a mutual acquaintance. After the help of an introduction, it's up to you to build rapport.
If you connect with someone who works for a company you want to work for, you may consider a message like, "I'm a former colleague of John Smith, who's told me a lot about you and your work. I'm considering a position at 123 Company. Would you mind if I ask you some questions related to your experience with the application and interview process?"
The saying, "It's not what you know. It's who you know," has never been truer. Take advantage of your current connections and use them to expand your professional network today.
Avoid sending your resume on first contact, or asking if your new connection knows of any job openings at their company. Your first message to a new connection should focus on starting a conversation, and you can effectively do that by asking for general advice rather than inquiring about a job.
Also, remember to keep questions open-ended so you can build conversation, not end it.
Who doesn't like to be greeted with a nice word of recognition like "Congratulations on the recent award!" or "Great article! I found it really insightful"? It informs the individual you admire their work, making it easier to get their attention and find a reason to connect with you.
If you're already connected, giving kudos to this person will strengthen your relationship and make them more willing to help you in your career.
Having a good network of connections is NOT about quantity but the quality of the people and the strength of the relationships. Take the time to really evaluate who is worth connecting with, and when you do try, have a compelling reason why you want to connect with them so they will sincerely consider your request.
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If you are going to an interview, there are many things you will want to consider. Many people think that knowing how to accurately answer the questions is the only thing that needs to be practiced. In reality, you also need to master your nonverbal communication to demonstrate your best attributes to the interviewer.
There are a few things you will need to think about. Your nonverbal communication is one of the most important aspects of an interview. This includes factors such as your gestures, body language, facial expressions, and more. These communication signals are important because they send a multitude of messages to the interviewer. Many times, nonverbal communication is subconscious, but it is still something that people will notice. Just as you will control what you verbally say, you will want to control what you communicate nonverbally, too.
It is a good idea to have your verbal match your nonverbal communication. This means if you say you are confident that you can give the business what it needs because you have years of experience, you do not want to come off as timid, shy, and unsure of yourself. Instead, you want to exude confidence.
Here are a few interview tips for nonverbal communication in an interview:
One of the best things you can do is to practice your interview ahead of time. You can do this by yourself, though you will want to have a mirror or video recording so you can evaluate your communication signals, or with a friend via a mock interview. When practicing for a job interview, you should think about the things you appear to be saying nonverbally and think about how you can change them to give the impression you are looking for.
You should be aware of how you are communicating during the interview, but be sure not to overthink and become distracted from the interview questions. For example, if you want to demonstrate your confidence, then you need to think about having excellent posture, keeping eye contact with your interviewer, and making sure to keep a calm demeanor.
A big issue many people face when they are in an interview is that they do not know what to do with their hands. Individuals should avoid fidgeting and touching their hair and face because the interviewer can read these communication signals negatively. These nervous movements and fidgets may be a sign of anything from uncertainty in your qualifications to lying about something.
It is also important to give the interviewer an open body position without crossing your arms, which shows that you are comfortable and open to discussion. By crossing your arms, you are sending the message that you are closed off, which makes an interviewer think you may have something to hide or feel negatively about the interview. You can keep your arms at your side or on your lap. Using your hands when you explain something is fine as well, and it is seen as a very open gesture to show your palms to the other individual while explaining.
While thinking about the right thing to say both verbally and nonverbally, you need to think about the message you are getting from the interviewer. For instance, if you see them lean back or look uncomfortable, you may be in their personal space. If the interviewer seems impatient or uncomfortable, you may want to try to explain yourself better or offer shorter and more concise answers.
There are many different aspects to think about with nonverbal communication and what it means in the business world. If you are finding that you are not having the success you want with an interview, you may find it helpful to take a class on nonverbal communication so you can achieve the results you are looking for.
Or you could join our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.
One of the most daunting tasks (in the USA and globally) that is not discussed in commercial research circles very often is the challenge data scientists have getting their data into the cloud AND convincing information security to configure cloud-based tools to allow access to critical data.
We all know the benefits of the cloud are many, including less expensive ways to store data, the scalability of big data platforms, and an advanced tool kit with many AI and machine learning tools (data and machine learning operations.) Risk and information security professionals still have many concerns about cloud data security, including adequate staffing and configuration expertise to make broad-scale use of cloud data a reality. There is often confusion about the current software stack and the scope of their cloud capabilities (on-prem versus cloud), further complicating the maze of issues surrounding using data in the cloud.
Chief data officers should be joined at the hip with chief technology officers and information security professionals to allow the migration of analytics data to the cloud and provide configuration of access tools (i.e. MS, Azure, or AWS).
I hope this post helps frame some of the issues and recommended solutions. I look forward to your thoughts and any additions you might have.
What should you do when you and another co-worker like each other? Worse yet, what happens if you have a crush on your boss, or that most terrible of taboos, on your secretary?
Rather than ignore the problem or act on your instincts, you should learn how to stop being attracted to someone at work. Here are 10 tips for handling the lust genie and putting her back in the bottle where she belongs:
The first step in dealing with attraction at work is to acknowledge the problem. In all likelihood, you have pushed these feelings to the side of your mind. Unfortunately, they are sitting there fermenting and probably deepening.
Bringing your feelings to the top of your to-do list will help you logically deal with them. In cases of workplace attraction, you are going to need every ounce of Dr. Spock you can muster.
You should absolutely talk to a friend about your work crush, preferably to someone who is not employed by the same company, your spouse, or the target of your attraction.
Talking about your feelings is another way of acknowledging the problem. In addition, you will acquire an ally who will help you cope with the issue.
Reading the black and white company policy about what can happen if you act on your attraction is sometimes enough to change those feelings of amore into slight sickness whenever you see the person.
In the world of business, there are many ways to get ahead. Some people have learned that ignoring office etiquette and company rules about relationships is a quick way to gain a competitive edge. It's very difficult, but try to realistically evaluate the skills of the other person.
Have they earned their position through brilliance, dedication, and hard work? Or did they just sort of miraculously appear?
Maybe your home life isn't as blissful as it could be. This doesn't mean that acting on your instincts with the person at work is going to be the dream relationship.
That possible relationship might be better, but in all likelihood you will be exchanging one set of problems for another.
In love with your boss? Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome? People in positions of power are often attractive even if they are absolutely horrible.
Romance at work (even between consenting single adults) often translates into negative repercussions. It can create sordid rumors and much worse.
If you truly have found the love of your life, get proactive about moving jobs or changing departments so you can continue your romance without worry.
Not willing to do that? Maybe this isn't the "one."
This will make coping much easier. Social decorum dictates that most intimacy doesn't occur in the presence of others. Design strategies that remove direct and private contact with the person.
Whenever possible, interact with the person only when there are other people around. This will prevent intimacy and, with luck, the workplace crush will fade.
So many of us get absolutely absorbed in work. It is our lives. When this is the case, it is perfectly natural to look for affection and intimacy at work. Make your social life outside of work a priority.
Once other people enter your life, the attraction for that colleague often disappears.
This approach rarely leads to a happy ending.
First, if the attraction is mutual, the crush will likely escalate into a full-blown affair. Second, if the attraction is not mutual, you face rejection and possibly a sexual harassment lawsuit.
We are all human and human interaction is sexual. Having a crush or being attracted to a co-worker is natural. But natural doesn't necessarily make it good for you!
Use these 10 tips to fight attraction in the workplace, because most of the time it isn't worth the risk.
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You should be obsessed with what’s in your closet because that’s how you create an image that gets you noticed—in a good way. When was the last time you looked at every single article of clothing and each accessory in your closet to determine if you love and wear it? Let’s be honest. It’s probably been a while.
A recent study showed women wear 20-30% of their clothes. So, for every 10 pieces of clothing in a woman’s closet, she’s only wearing two or three pieces. That’s crazy! Especially when we look at that closet full of clothes and think, “I have nothing to wear.” It’s probably time for a closet audit to see what you own and what type of use you’re getting out of it.
I highly recommend going through that exercise. Do it yourself or work with a personal stylist. You’ve probably heard the saying that if you haven’t worn something in the past year, get rid of it. I’m not completely stuck on that rule, especially with the pandemic. We weren’t going anywhere for a time but that’s no reason to get rid of your entire wardrobe. You may have been wearing the comfy uniform (sweatpants and a t-shirt) but now are getting back in the public eye and need to dust off the pants and blouses.
Going through your closet and determining what you want to keep should be easy. Discard things you are not wearing. Again, that won’t be too hard. Then you’ll have things in between. For advice on what to do with those pieces? Well, that’s what I get paid for.
One question is what to do with clothing and accessories you don’t wear anymore. Here are a few options:
Ten million tons of clothing fill landfills every year. That’s deplorable. We must stop this and become better stewards of our planet. One out of every two articles of clothing is thrown away. There’s no need for that (see above options).
The average woman spends $960 annually on new clothes. (Depending on who you are, that may be a shocking statistic. Frankly, I wish I could get it down that low. I’m sure my husband does too). Where is she going to put them? She needs to have a closet audit and throw out the old so she can bring in the new.
A great time to do a closet audit is the change of seasons, spring and fall. Before you pack away the previous season’s wardrobe, make sure it’s all worth keeping. As a personal stylist, I help people with this process, organize their closets, and show them how to rotate their clothes so they never have to do another audit. It’s very liberating, by the way.
That takes me to another point of an efficient closet. ORGANIZATION. How can you responsibly dress if you don’t even know what you have? Categorize clothing. For example, all coats should be together as well as footwear like boots and sandals. It will help you get ready faster and become very clear on what you’re not wearing.
Don’t just stop at your closet. Go through drawers and sweater bins. You also need to do this process with jewelry boxes and armoires. There are vendors that travel the country buying metals like gold and silver. A friend recently brought old gold jewelry to one and got about $400 in cash. Pretty nice for less than an hour’s work.
Sustainability is really coming to the forefront in the fashion industry, and I’m glad to see it. Be part of the solution and not the problem.
Carla Biasi | LinkedIn
Cbstyle | Facebook
Carla Biasi (@carla.hammack) • Instagram photos and videos
Recently, the top 10 most overused words on LinkedIn profiles were announced. And I'm not shocked to see that all 10 words break the basic rule of personal branding: stay objective.
The 10 most overused words on LinkedIn are subjective. Meaning that if you use them, you are stating an opinion of yourself. Take a look:
The problem with using these words is that, while you think it’s okay to talk about yourself in this way, the reader of your profile (aka a recruiter or hiring manager) gets the mistaken impression that you think you are “all that and a bag of chips.”
The solution is to test your profile and then take out any words that aren’t fact. Here’s how you test it: simply read each sentence on your profile and then ask yourself, “Says who?” If you can’t validate it within the sentence you are using it in, then it needs to go. I used all 10 of the words on LinkedIn’s list below to show you examples of how they get misused.
For all of the above, you can’t help but think when you read them, “Geez. Don’t you think a lot of yourself!” Or, as I mentioned above, the immediate reaction becomes, “Really? Says who?”
Once you edit your profile, go back through and insert accomplishments that prove what you were trying to say about yourself. These would be examples of better fits:
Notice all of the above bullet points use numbers, percentages, and statistics to prove the skill. This is called quantifying your accomplishments, and it is the most compelling way to validate your experience. When it comes to LinkedIn, facts are always better than fiction!
We know how difficult it can be to optimize your LinkedIn profile so it effectively communicates your personal brand. If you're still struggling to update your LinkedIn profile, we can help.
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If you are looking for a promotion or raise, you're going to have to prove you can add more value. The best way to do this is to continually feed your career with skills and knowledge that show you are worth the raise and promotion.
Here are five ways to develop your skills at work and advance your career.
Having a mentor at work is crucial to attaining new skills and knowledge. A good mentor will help you solve some of the challenges and roadblocks you face. The best mentors will help you figure out the next steps that work for you and help guide you over hurdles that sit squarely in your blind spot.
Amazing mentors will be the people who tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. They will give you the real feedback you need to fill in your blind spots that put you in a position to advance.
Mentors are important to advancing your career. They can expose you to new experiences and points of view.
In addition to finding a good mentor, consider finding a good protégé as well. In many cases, taking that next step in your career means you may have to manage people. The best way to practice is to become a mentor to someone else.
When you become a mentor, you pay your learnings forward to others to help them advance as well. You learn a lot about motivating people and teaching them new skills when you can also act as a mentor at work.
When you see new opportunities to learn new skills, go for it. If there is something in the company you want to learn to do and you see an opportunity to learn those skills in a special project or a new assignment, make the grab.
Do a little extra when it's required to learn those new skills that you need to advance. Remember, it's not aggressive to reach for a new opportunity. It is helpful, useful, and valuable.
People who progress in their careers find ways to elegantly make grabs for new learning opportunities.
When a new project comes up and it aligns with the skills you're looking to obtain, raise that hand. Let your manager or HR team know that you want to learn some new skills or gain new, more advanced experience. Be clear on what you can offer to the project and get involved.
Sometimes there are not a lot of grabs to make. We understand that. We recommend that you start reading everything you can about your industry and your field.
Study everything there is to know about your company and its competitors. Know the company goals and unique selling points of your company like the back of your hand. Become an expert in these things and be able to talk about them. Think about some solutions to the company's chief challenges.
Honestly, when someone on my team comes to me with a solution, they stand out.
When there are not many special projects to make a grab for, you can develop and pitch your own special project by knowing what challenges you can solve for the company. This way, you learn new skills and stand out because you've taken the time to solve a company problem.
Many times, new skills are outside your department or area of influence and responsibility. To overcome this, think about networking internally.
Get to know people in other divisions, other offices, and on other teams. Be curious about their department. Learn everything you can about their job and their skills. Find out how they got those skills and see how you might be able to chip in over there in your spare time to develop those skills you want to use to grow your career.
The last one is one I always forget about.
Many companies have some sort of internal learning system. Go talk to your benefits team. Find out about training opportunities available to you. Learn about any tuition reimbursement benefits you may have. Talk with your HR team about what you want to learn and how it can help the company.
Developing new skills doesn't have to mean going back to school in the evenings. Sometimes the skills you're looking for are right in front of you. It's a matter of knowing what you want to learn and finding ways to develop those skills while you are at work. After all, if you want to achieve career success, you have to work on your career just as much as you work in it!
If you're struggling to develop your skills and grow your career, we can help.
Job searching for two? Congratulations! As a pregnant job seeker, you're likely experiencing a myriad of emotions—excitement, happiness, fear, and stress. Taking on a job search while pregnant can be a challenge. Fortunately, we've got some great tips that will make your job search a little easier.
“As a brand-new mother, I can say with overwhelming certainty that having a child will change your life—and your priorities," says Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume. “When you're evaluating different job opportunities, consider what's most important to you when it comes to the role and the organization."
Consider what kinds of things you'll need in order to both perform your best on the job and support your growing family. What kinds of benefits are going to be important to you as a mom?
Here are a few things you should consider when researching companies and roles:
Augustine also recommends checking out Seramount's 100 Best Companies List when building your list of companies to target.
“Don't begin each job interview (or job application) by mentioning your pregnancy," says Augustine. “Remember, the focus should be placed on learning more about the position and communicating your interest in the role and your qualifications, not your family plans."
Employers are looking for great candidates. Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you're not a great candidate. Instead of focusing on your pregnancy, showcase why you're the best person for the job. In fact, if your pregnancy isn't visibly obvious yet, there's no need to mention your pregnancy during the interview at all, according to Augustine.
Employers aren't allowed to inquire about your marital status, children, or your future family plans during the hiring process. Watch out for seemingly innocent questions that stem from a casual conversation such as, “Sorry I'm running a little late—had to drop the kids off at soccer practice. Do you have any kids? Love 'em, but they're taking over my life with their activities!"
The truth is, your interviewer might not realize that these questions are inappropriate. He or she might just be inexperienced or extra friendly. However, it's important to tactfully avoid answering these questions because the wrong answer can impact your future at the company.
As a result, it's important to handle the situation tactfully. Remember, your goal is to make a great impression. Calling out an interviewer for asking an illegal question is, unfortunately, not the best strategy when trying to accomplish this.
While it's tempting to ask about the company's maternity leave policy during the hiring process, Augustine strongly recommends holding off until you've been offered the job—in writing.
“Whenever possible, save this conversation until you're ready to negotiate your compensation," says Augustine.
Instead, do your homework. Research the company's parental leave policy on sites such as Glassdoor and Comparably. Doing a little detective work beforehand can save you some major headaches down the road.
“Keep conversations about your maternity leave to a minimum with the employer," says Augustine. “Remember, it's only a temporary absence and shouldn't impact your performance."
However, you will need to give your employer a heads up on a few things, so think ahead. When it comes time to discuss your pregnancy plans with your employer, be prepared to answer questions like...
“When you take the time to prepare thoughtful responses," says Augustine, “you're showing your new employer your commitment to the company's success and also demonstrating your value as a long-term employee."
As a mother-to-be, you've got enough on your plate these days. Don't make your job search more stressful than it needs to be. Instead, take these tips and apply them to your search today!
Job searching while pregnant isn't easy, but we hope these tips will help you successfully find a job if you're expecting. If you need more help finding a job while pregnant, we're here for you.
So your looking for a job need to explain to a recruiter why you've been job-hopping. How can you effectively explain your job-hopping habit without disqualifying yourself as a job candidate?
@j.t.odonnell How to explain job hopping to a recruiter. #recruiter #interviewtips #interview #jobinterview #jobinterviewtips #jobinterviewquestions #jobsearchhelp #jobsearchtips #jobsearch #careeradvice #careertok #edutok #careertiktok #careertips ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell
Well, first, you need to understand job-hopping from the recruiter's point of view. To a recruiter, job-hopping is a red flag. They're worried that, if they do hire you for a position, you're going to ditch the company six months later because that's a pattern in your work history.
In order to effectively explain job-hopping to a recruiter, you need to revise your work history by filling in the gaps.
For each job, a recruiter wants to know:
Walk the recruiter through your job-hopping history by talking about what you learned and how you learned even more at the next job. When you get to the current situation, you then look at them and say, "For those reasons, I'm now very clear in the value that I can bring and what I want in a job. And I am looking to stay put. And so while I know it looks like I've been job-hopping, I believe that that journey brought me to this moment where I have all the experience that I need to stay here and do a really good job for you."
That's what recruiters need to hear. If you follow this strategy, your job-hopping habit won't prevent you from landing your next job.
Navigating job search challenges like this one can be incredibly difficult, especially if you're not sure what value you bring to the table as a professional. The good news is, I can help.
I'd love it if you joined my FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction, and overcome job burnout once and for all!
What if I were to tell you that you might be doing the good old SWOT analysis incorrectly?
And on top of that, you're only doing half of it?
SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—a classic framework familiar to many in the business world. It’s often used as a situational analysis for an organization’s strategic planning.
The SWOT is so common that its usage, in some cases, has morphed from its original form. This results in an analysis that is only partially complete. And rarely helpful.
It also has a whole other half—the TOWS analysis—which is where your SWOT goes from “I made a list” to a practical, actionable strategy.
Here are the most common steps that we get wrong when completing a SWOT.
Well…kind of.
Many people get the Strengths and Weaknesses correct. Indeed, you simply list out your company’s areas of mastery and shortcomings.
However, the Opportunities and Threats sections are where most people make their first SWOT mistake.
The O and T are NOT specifically about your company.
O and T are to be lists of EXTERNAL factors that could affect your business. In other words, things that in most cases are beyond your direct control.
Here’s a simple example. Let's say you are running a food cart that sells pie… because...pie! As I'm a native Midwesterner, it has to be pie-on-a-stick.
(Don't question me here. All Midwesterners know that anything can be eaten on a stick!)
Strengths – The things your company excels at. These are internal factors.
S could include having a recognizable brand, great employee perks (free pie!), being debt-free, and offering a customer rewards program.
Weaknesses – Things that prevent the company from reaching its optimum performance. These are internal factors.
For instance, not offering gluten-free or vegan options, you only have one cart location, and an unwillingness to invest in payment technology, so you only accept cash.
Opportunities – These are external factors that can help give your business an advantage.
For instance, your pie-on-a-stick food cart enjoys local tourism traffic, the permit fees are low, and food suppliers are dependable.
Threats – These are external factors that can negatively impact your business.
For example, there is a shortage of workers in your town, your region has bad weather for half the year which drives away foot traffic, and the stick manufacturer is raising prices.
Remember, O and T are external forces only. Many people tend to make O and T internal factors. And, well…it’s tough to do a situational analysis when you’re not fully examining the situation from all angles.
That is to say, never do your SWOT in isolation. I’ve found that a SWOT analysis is typically done by one person or one department, with no additional research or data collected.
To get a truly holistic view of your company, you need to talk to other people (and not just the managers). You need to hear diverse voices from all departments and job levels for a truly representative set of data.
You may think you know your business’s strengths and weaknesses, but if you do not listen to a representative group of people from across the entire organization, you're not getting the full picture.
For external forces, monitor the environment for things that could potentially affect your business. A good framework for this is a semi-localized version of a PESTLE analysis, if you want to go deep.
Now, let's go back to our pie-on-a-stick food cart example.
Example of a Weakness that comes to light after talking with an employee:
You hear from one of your high school workers that none of their teen friends will eat at the cart because your business doesn't accept mobile payments. That could be cutting out a large chunk of potential customers, as the high school is located just around the corner.
Example of an Opportunity you could take advantage of, found from keeping tabs on the local business environment:
You learn from a local media outlet that there is a new off-site kitchen space opening up, which would be perfect for expanding your food prep capabilities, if you’re considering opening a second location but need more prep and storage space.
Did you know that there is an entire step two to the SWOT? It's called the TOWS analysis. And yes, that is SWOT spelled backwards!
In a TOWS analysis, we look at the relationship between the internal and the external factors and what actions your business needs to take to improve your current positioning.
To do this, we use a matrix that, believe it or not, is called the TOWS Matrix.
Put your company’s Strengths and Weaknesses on the Y-axis and the external Opportunities and Threats on the X-axis. Then combine your S and W with the O and T, making actionable strategies for each quadrant.
In the SO quadrant, ask: “How can we utilize our strengths to take advantage of the current opportunities?"
For example: The pie-on-a-stick business is a well-known local brand, allowing you to take advantage of cross-promotional opportunities with nearby retail businesses, who you learn are looking to partner with popular local food brands.
In the ST quadrant, ask: "How can we utilize our strengths to overcome any potential threats in the current environment—and potentially turn them into opportunities?"
For example: Your established customer rewards program might help to weather planned road construction near your location that could cut into new customer foot traffic. You might encourage your biggest fans to stop by more often and receive double rewards during this period to help make up for lost new customer sales.
In the WO quadrant, ask: “How can the current opportunities help to mitigate our weaknesses?"
For example: You discover an opportunity to set up an indoor food stall across town that would not only add a second location (a weakness) but also be more immune to bad weather that affects your outdoor cart location (a threat).
This is an instance of a Weakness-Opportunity-AND-Threat strategy combo!
The WT quadrant is the danger zone! This is an area you need to watch out for. It's wise to create some offensive strategies to help manage risks if your weaknesses might magnify current threats.
For example: Your cash-only payment system could backfire as society moves more and more towards mobile and touchless payments as the norm. You might consider investing in new technology so you’re not left in the dust.
I’ve found that the TOWS analysis will dramatically improve your SWOT. Instead of merely listing things out in a SWOT and calling it a day, the TOWS adds actionable strategies and tactics based on research and data from the internal and external environments. Good luck!
To get started on the topic, we need to understand why feeling appreciated is so important for human beings. In neuroscience research, Hebb’s Law says that “neurons that fire together wire together.” The more you practice gratitude, the more you strengthen the brain’s neural circuits for gratitude, making it easier to focus on feelings of gratitude. When you start to focus on the things you already have in your life that are good, your brain becomes better at discovering similar things.
For example, if you consciously notice how engaged and curious your team members are behaving, you will be more likely to notice engagement and curiosity—feeling gratitude again. Even though the employees might always be there, the gratitude focus is like a signal to your brain to notice them.
To be crystal clear let’s start with some key definitions and implications.
We tend to use “appreciation” and “recognition” interchangeably, yet they are quite different in nature. When people managers and leaders want their teams and organizations to thrive and grow—and they want to create cultures of engagement, loyalty, and high performance—it’s important to understand the distinction. Recognition is about giving positive feedback based on results or performance against goals or objectives, yet sometimes recognition is given more informally: a verbal thanks, a handwritten note. All these methods can be meaningful, especially if they’re done in a timely and genuine way. They’re also motivating and exciting—everyone wants their good work to be applauded.
And while recognition that includes monetary compensation can be great, researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) found that financial incentives can backfire when it comes to motivating employees. “These incentives may reduce an employee’s natural inclination to complete a task and derive pleasure from doing so” (LSE).
On the other hand, appreciation is about acknowledging a person’s inherent value. The point isn’t their accomplishments. It’s their worth as a colleague and human beings.
In simple terms, recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are. Here are our top nine recommendations to ensure your employees feel appreciated.
One of the simplest and most basic ways to show your employees that you appreciate them is by knowing and using their names. A person’s name is one of the most important things to them, and when you take the time to learn and use it, they feel appreciated. In addition to this, learn about their career aspirations, challenges, and professional stories, amongst others.
You know that two-way communication is key in any relationship, so you make sure to actively listen to your employees as much as you expect them to. This shows that you value their opinions and are interested in hearing what they have to say. Plan periodic 1:1 conversations with all your direct reports, where you can deepen your understanding of both their work and their career aspirations.
Feedback is essential for growth, so make sure to give your employees honest feedback that they can use to improve their performance, productivity, and career. This shows that you are committed to helping them grow and develop in their roles.
One of the fundamentals of trust-building is respect, and it is a basic need for all human beings, so make sure to always show your employees, peers, colleagues, clients, etc. the respect they deserve. This sends the clear and consistent message that you value them as individuals and appreciate their contributions to the company and interest in it too.
Everyone likes and needs to feel appreciated, therefore make sure to thank your employees for their hard work and let them know when they do a great job as well as for everything that they bring to the table. This helps them feel motivated and appreciated, which leads to higher job satisfaction and engagement.
One of the most important investments that we can make as people leaders is investing in our employees' development; it is an investment in the future of your company, providing opportunities for them to learn and grow in their roles. This demonstrates that you are committed to their long-term success at the team, function, and company levels.
Recognizing your employees’ achievements is a great way to show them that you appreciate their hard work. Whether it’s a formal recognition program or simply saying “good job” when you see them doing something well, letting them know that you notice and appreciate their efforts goes a long way.
Giving your employees interesting and meaningful work shows that you value their skills and abilities. It’s also a great way to keep them engaged in their work, which can lead to improved performance.
When you show concern for your employees’ well-being, it demonstrates that you care about them as people, not just as employees. This can include things like providing safe working conditions, flexibility, autonomy, offering mental health benefits, or giving them time off when they need it, amongst others.
The workplace reality brought on by COVID-19 has thrown a lot of businesses for a loop. But having a strong business and culture going into the pandemic has helped California-based Backblaze not only adjust to the changing workplace environment, but keep the company moving forward in a positive direction.
Backblaze makes using, storing, and protecting data astonishingly easy by providing online computer backup and cloud storage for personal computers and businesses. The company, which is usually always hiring, believes that many of the things that it was doing prior to the pandemic has helped to keep it successful.
One of the more unique benefits offered by Backblaze is the employee equipment perk. Employees that work at the company's San Mateo headquarters are provided with an ergonomically supported workstation and then given a stipend to help customize that workstation to meet their needs.
In some cases, employees will use the stipend to purchase equipment, like a secondary workstation to have at home, or other high-efficiency tools such as iPads or smartwatches, according to Ramya Ramamoorthy, Marketing Recruitment Coordinator at Backblaze.
Ramamoorthy said the goal of the stipend is for employees to buy what they need to be comfortable and productive. The perk took on added importance when COVID-19 forced the Backblaze workforce to work from home.
"During COVID a lot of our employees have been using their employee equipment perk to purchase things like a desk and chair, computer monitor, or anything they need to set up their workstation because a lot of people didn't have that prior to COVID because most people were working in the office," Ramamoorthy says.
Backblaze has also been flexible with the stipend based on an individual's need for their home office. For example, the company has approved portable A/C units, ellipticals for under the desk, and fitness trackers because the company believes all these items can keep health, comfort, and productivity up while employees are working from home.
Backblaze also provides a monthly stipend to employees who work from home but may need help upgrading their internet connection.
Ramamoorthy says the company offered work-from-home flexibility prior to the pandemic and even had some employees that worked remotely full time. "I think the fact that we all at some point, even if it was only for a day or two, worked from home was really helpful in the transition," Ramamoorthy says.
Another perk that has taken on an added importance is the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), which allows employees unlimited phone consultations. Ramamoorthy says the company wants its employees to have access to confidential counseling services to help them through any challenges relating to work, family, stress, finances, and other personal issues. The company also offers access to Modern Health, a coaching and therapy platform that supports employees and their dependents during life’s ups and downs.
Workplace culture has always been one of the priorities at Backblaze. When employees were in the office, the company's "Fun Committee" would often plan social events to bring the workforce together. These events included happy hours, milestone celebrations, and Family Fun Days, to name a few events.
These events went virtual during have gone virtual since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop the Fun Committee from getting creative, according to Ramamoorthy. When employees started working from home back in 2020, the committee recently held storytime events for the children of employees, where actors playing Disney characters read and sang.
The company also held virtual happy hours and wellness classes, including yoga, meditation, and Zumba classes.
Prior to shelter-in-place, Backblaze offered fully stocked micro-kitchens with free snacks in the office as well as free breakfast and lunch twice a week, and pets were allowed at the office.
The company is now transitioning into a hybrid work environment and managers are asked to work with their employees to come up with a schedule for their team. We also have some employees who live outside of the Bay Area and work remotely full-time. As we transition into this new work environment, the company has been starting to reintroduce in-person events. They also provide free snacks and lunches to those who are in the office.
All five of Backblaze's founders still work at the company.
Video conferencing was used by management to stay connected to the workforce during COVID-19. Company co-founder Brian Wilson started virtual office hours every week where he goes over interesting facts about the company and answers any questions that employees may have. This started during the pandemic to stay connected to employees and he continues to do these virtual office hours on a weekly basis.
Here are some benefits and perks at Backblaze:
Backblaze is hiring!
Ramamoorthy says the pandemic has not impacted Backblaze's staffing, and that the company is always on the lookout for more people to join the team.
"We're very lucky that during this time people are still using our services, and I think it's because our service is almost essential," Ramamoorthy says. "We're very fortunate to be in this situation."
The interview process is entirely remote, and there's a coding exercise for those applying for engineering positions.
Does your business have a unique story to tell? Consider being featured by Work It Daily! Work It Daily has an engaged audience of individuals either looking for a job or are focused on career growth—the perfect audience to get your company in front of.
Almost everyone has some sort of significant goal or aspiration they hope to achieve in the future. For a lot of people, this includes some type of long-term career plan or dream job that they would like to obtain.
While these major objectives may seem difficult or even impossible to achieve, they can appear much more manageable through the use of a career plan. The future can provide an extremely uncertain ride, but having a solid career plan in place can serve as a reliable roadmap to get you wherever you would like to go.
Here are three reasons why you should have a solid career plan.
Having a realistic career plan in place is often an essential part of career growth, and our personal growth and development. Without goals to strive for, most people find it difficult to stray from the easy norm or gain skills which make them a more valuable commodity in the business world.
If your career isn't growing, it's dying! Failing to put together a career plan that will help you grow professionally could lead to a career crisis.
By planning for the future and setting a specific timeline for accomplishing the things you want to achieve, you will find that your career plan is an effective way to ensure you never lose motivation along the way. Between the accountability of having fixed objectives and the inspiration you'll receive when you attain your career growth goals, your career plan is an opportunity to maximize your true potential.
If one of the important destinations in your future is a much-desired job or position, a career plan truly is a roadmap to help you reach it. Job boards are full of available positions, but often the most desired and competitive jobs require a significant amount of prerequisite experience or education. It's very rare that someone will simply fall into their dream job.
Most commonly, it takes years of planning your career growth, hard work, and even a little bit of luck to develop your current situation into the career of your dreams. By isolating exactly what you'll need to accomplish in order to be a candidate for the job you truly want, fulfilling the needed tasks will become much easier and your chances of success will be much higher.
Having a realistic career plan in place is not just about work. In fact, a great career plan should have a much longer view. Unless your dream job is something that you want to do every single day of your life, your career plan can also be used to determine the steps needed to smoothly enter into retirement down the road.
Incorporating a rudimentary knowledge of financial planning into your career goals and setting yourself up for retirement through proper savings and the allocation of investments will serve as a great way to wrap up your long-term career plan.
Working in your dream job may be where you would like to see yourself in ten years, but what about when you're in your 60s or 70s?
Career planning may intimidate some people who are unsure about the direction they would like to take decades down the road. Instead of being a set-in-stone list of rules and objectives you must follow, your career plan should instead be viewed as simply a way to get what you want.
As frequently as our wants and needs change, the tasks we must accomplish in order to achieve them change just as fast. Having a career plan can help you design your future the way you would like it, but can also be flexible enough to change when your personal ambitions and goals do.
If you're struggling to create a career plan and grow as a professional, we can help.
USAJOBS, the primary portal for federal job seekers, launched a streamlined application service for college students and recent graduates called Pathways to better assist them with finding government work. While this is certainly welcome news in a competitive job market, one might wonder why there is so much interest in government jobs in particular.
By way of an answer, here are five benefits of working for the federal government.
Increased job security is a valuable commodity, especially in an uncertain economy, and the federal government provides it. Compared to public servants, private employees are at a much higher risk of being terminated; in fact, they are three times likelier to be terminated by their private employer than employees of the federal government are.
Federal employees receive competitive salaries with the added benefit of high compensation increases. From 1951 to 1991, the average state and local government employees received $1.37 in compensation increases for every $1.00 received by the average private employee. Federal civilian employees received $1.91.
Since 1980, the pace has increased, with average state and local employees receiving $4.78 for each $1.00 received by private employees.
Over the course of a career, state and local government employees and federal civilian employees receive nearly 1.5 years more in paid vacation and holidays than the average private employee. The average state or local government employee has 9.9 more paid vacation days and holidays than their private counterparts, a figure that increases to 13 for federal employees.
Increased vacation time means that employees are properly compensated for their work hours and given ample time and resources to properly recharge so as to better function in their jobs. The government tends to offer its employees more paid sick and personal days as well.
The Federal Healthcare Benefits Program, or FHBP, provides the widest selection of health care plans of any U.S. employer. Though government health care benefits tend to pale in comparison to those offered by private employers while an employee is working, most government health care plans provide superior benefits to retirees than do private health care plans.
Speaking of retirement, federal employees tend to have the option to retire earlier than their private sector counterparts and have access to superior retirement plans through the Civil Services Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS).
Under both plans, retired employees receive an annuity, complemented by Social Security benefits and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which offers 401(k)-type investment options. Retired federal employees also have the option of continuing health benefits at the same monthly cost that they paid before retirement.
If you're looking for a job with a lot of benefits, a federal government position could be right for you. There are pros and cons associated with every job, but the pros of a federal job are definitely something to consider during your job search.
Need more help with your job search?
Warning! Horrible co-worker ahead! Every workplace has one. That absolutely impossible, difficult, nasty, backbiting individual who makes it his/her personal mission in life to belittle everyone else and make their life a living hell. Usually, people like this are also extremely manipulative and good at managing both HR and their own boss.
When you're forced to work with or for one of these human porcupines, here are some strategies that will help you escape the worst of the pokes.
To begin, you need to understand how this person got like this in the first place. It’s a little bit nature and a little bit nurture. Every once in a while this personality type is just plain mean through and through. However, usually nasty behavior stems from a deep personal insecurity about themselves or their ability to perform their job. Maybe they feel they aren’t good enough; maybe they never got an “A” in school; maybe their mom beat them as a child (seriously). For whatever reason, they feel inferior and by making you miserable they are bringing you down, too. They get perverse satisfaction by doing this. It’s a vandal’s mentality. Smashing nice things that belong to others is fun.
If they are truly horrible they also chase much of the competition for their job and vertical promotions away. This only makes them even more horrible because they now see concrete rewards for their bad behavior. Before you know it, all office etiquette is thrown out the window and there is an office monster on the loose.
The number one best strategy for dealing with a horrible co-worker is to kill them with kindness. For every exasperated sigh, provide a smile. For every accusatory rant and rave, provide a calm understanding response. Always stand your ground but don’t react to their nastiness. After the first or second time you throw kindness in their face, the bad behavior should stop. Best of all, you will get a euphoric feeling inside: “Aha, I’ve controlled the beast!” This will make it easier and easier to keep your calm when confronted with accusations, backstabbing campaigns, and ghastly behavior. Best yet, if they keep it up you will make them look like an utter fool.
This doesn’t mean transfer departments. It means being aware of a negative environment and removing yourself from it. You wouldn’t work outside in a snowstorm unless you had to. Why work next to a human tornado? If you have a flexible work environment, it will be easier for you to focus on your job if you aren’t constantly upset and trying to manage the work bully. There is a lot to say for out of sight, out of mind. Even noise reduction headphones (turned on or off) can do wonders. Make it clear to your boss that you can be found at all times in your new alternate location. Don’t ever give up your territory—just be somewhere else a lot of the time.
Whenever emotions take over the brain it is almost impossible to think logically and make good decisions. Realize you need to manage your own responses as much as managing the work bully. An easy way to do this is to lay future fantasy plans about ways to get even with the work bully. With every snide remark, you can add another imagined revenge. In all likelihood, you will never actually follow through on any of your plans, but if you bide your time there may come a point when you can inflict massive and substantial damage to the work bully and seriously undermine their career. Revenge like this is unbelievably sweet. This sounds evil, but think of all the poor future souls you will be protecting.
Often the work bully will respond favorably to your kindness and afterward try to befriend you. No matter how tempting this is (you might actually really come to like them), never trust the Tiger. This is a professional relationship; let it become more and don’t be surprised if you get bitten.
The camaraderie may be nice and the nasty battle-ax deserves it, but this type of behavior is unprofessional and against all normal office etiquette. In addition, bullies are uncommonly good at staving off attacks. Fighting is what they do best. Don’t assume you and your comrades will end up winning the war.
Don't let a nasty co-worker bring you down. Follow these tips and be the better office mate!
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