6 Ways to Help You Find Success at Work Building Your Future Now

6 Ways to Help You Find Success at Work Building Your Future Now Sometimes in life we struggle and other times we just get it. I think you will agree with me that being successful is a lot more fun then losing especially at work. So how can you find success at work? Here are 6 Ways: 1. Learn About Your Bosses Learning more about your bosses can give you a deeper understanding in regards to their managerial styles and work-floor personality. Ask if you can a have a few moments to talk with your manager in their office or have a 20 minute chat at a coffee shop close by. Find out a bit more about their professional background and think about how you can further learn from them. 2. Learn Something Youre Good at You have strengths and weaknesses. Instead of lingering on what you cant do, think about what you can do and how can learn more about getting better. Consult books. Research the internet. Message top-tier local professionals. Find out how you can exponentially increase your knowledge and experience of a personal strength or skill set! 3. Help Co-workers with their Personal Goals Day in and day out you work with many people around you in the work place. Sometimes you feel like simply doing your work and going home. However, try this: you may have a co-worker that you get along withso thats a good start. Find out a little more about them. What do they excel in? What did they study at school? So they have an interesting hobby? By learning about your co-worker(s) you are in effect taking the time to listen to them. Its a good feeling! To take it one step further: is there anyway you can help them achieve their goal(s). ALEP: Ask. Listen. Execute. Produce. For example, if you discover a co-worker is a talented singer try seeing how you can use any talents you have to help in their music career! 4. Learn how to Make Money You dont have to be a sales person at your company to generate money for them. But you can think of ways of doing it: whether it be excelling in customer service and stoking repeat business or keeping the business organized even the smallest things can help generate revenue for the business you work for! Also, try brainstorming new and exciting ways to generate business and increase revenues. 5. Be your customers #1 fan Most of the time a smile goes a long way! Be friendly and accommodating do your customers. Thank them for their business and ask them to come back. Become your customers #1 fan! Be positive with them even if a negative situation arises you will quickly get fans yourself by being the positive one. 6. Never, ever give up! Everyobe loves an underdog story and people that never quit. How about you are that person at your job! The person that always rises up to the challenge! The person that never, ever quits! Your customers, bosses, and co-workers need this kind of energyso give it to them in spades! Image:Geralt

One Simple Way to Offer College Students the Career Information They Need Marla Gottschalk

One Simple Way to Offer College Students the Career Information They Need Marla Gottschalk Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash As time goes on, we can develop perspectives clouded in convention and negative experiences. Things can seem very complicated, when in fact they are not. If you desire a fresh solution â€" seek someone with a fresh perspective. In this case, a recent college graduate. Now on to the larger topic: The need to impart needed career information to college students. As you know, most college students will never pass through the doors of their Universitys career center. Many will land in career paths unsuited to them. Even more may end up in a very quick career dead-end. Why? They didnt have the required facts to make an informed decision. So why the hesitation to inform them? (Its not that.) Colleges and universities want to inform their students and go to great lengths to do so. The glaring problem is securing their attention. So â€" my recent grad offered a brilliant solution: At the start of each and every semester in survey classes in Psychology, History, Chemistryetc, tell them. Yes, simply tell them. Spend a half an hour addressing career paths, work settings and how they can make that content area work as a career. Share insights concerning the highs and lows. Discuss educational requirements. Dont wait for that timid Freshman to rally the nerve to speak to the professor after class, about a decision that will affect the rest of their working life. Inform them. Right alongside the review of the syllabus. You already have a captive audience. Take advantage of the opportunity. Makes sense, doesnt it? Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, consultant and coach. She holds the role of Senior Consultant at Allied Talent, bringing the principles of The Alliance to organizations worldwide.

Is Video Interviewing Now a Viable Option for Recruiters

Is Video Interviewing Now a Viable Option for Recruiters It started with tech companies but is becoming more and more popular by the day by all kinds of employers and recruiters. Why? Because it works. You have the opportunity to replay and review the interviews you conduct with just a few clicks of a button. But can it ever replace face-to-face interviews? Is it merely just a screening tool? We ask our diverse group of panelists to discuss how viable of an option video interviewing is. Adam Glassman   Yes, most candidates have gotten over the fear of video interviewing, thanks to social apps like Facetime, Skype, and general video phone calls with friends. Companies have to ask three questions: 1) Is this right for my candidate audience?    2) Does this actually provide an advantage to my recruiters?      3) At what point in the process would we deploy this?      Those answers will vary based on the company. Adam Glassman, Recruitment Strategies Manager, Alorica Bryan Chaney   Video has always been a viable option for those that can access and understand the medium. Whether showcasing a culture or job experience on video to attract potential hires, or using video to ask and answer questions in the hiring process, video takes us one step closer to the face-to-face human experience. We use our senses to make judgment decisions (sight, sound, taste, touch, even smell) and the more senses we can leverage, the better the odds that we’re making a good decision. I’m just waiting on smell-o-vision enhanced Virtual Reality goggles. Bryan Chaney, Director of Employer Brand, Indeed Nathan Perrott   I think it depends on the employer, sector and job type, but in short, video recruiting is a more viable option for most. But mainly as a screening tool. I don’t think you can ever replace human face to face interviewing. There are issues with conscious and unconscious bias that video interviewing can help with too. Generations Y Z will be more comfortable with this method, so for future talent / early careers campaigns it’s usually very effective. Video is also an essential attraction tool given how engaged users are with video nowadays. Nathan Perrott, Director of Digital Marketing Strategy, AIA Worldwide Hung Lee   Use of video in recruiting must already be considered mainstream. We use video technology to communicate in real time and increasingly asynchronous video to conduct first stage assessments on candidates. Some of the more advanced businesses are now building AI into video interviewing platforms, helping companies validate candidate responses and perhaps pick up patterns on what type of response/responder produces the best outcomes. There are legal and ethical challenges ahead for these technologies. Hung Lee, CEO, WorkShape.io Chris Russell   Yes, it is for most higher level roles. It still may not be great for entry level jobs because those candidates are less likely to want to appear on video. At least that was my experience during my recruiting career. Chris Russell, Managing Director, RecTech Media Cheryl Cran Video and mobile are major with many candidates mobile will be the main form of technology in the next few years Recruiters need to be using video to attract talent, videos that show workplace culture, videos that show the leadership styles and the benefits of the company. Cheryl Cran, CEO Future of Work Expert, Synthesis at Work Inc Jonathan Kestenbaum   Video interviewing is a very commoditized space. However, it definitely does save time and money when interviewing candidates. I anticipate you will see a number of video interviewing technologies adding to their tech stack and building Candidate Relationship Management platforms. Jonathan Kestenbaum, Executive Director, Talent Tech Labs

Penetrating the Hidden Job Market - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Penetrating the Hidden Job Market - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In the current job market, it’s not unusual for people to be looking for jobs over many months. It’s a very competitive market, and job openings are few. This situation is amplified by the herd mentality whereby people deploy the job search strategies commonly used in the past. For example, asking people about their target companies elicits, in most cases, the names of large and very well-known companies. This means that all of those people are competing for the same few openings. Yet there are lots of jobs in the untapped arena called the hidden job market. The hidden job market is at the other end of the spectrumâ€"mostly hidden from the public because the jobs in it don’t get published. Such jobs get filled by word of mouth or through recommendations. Most jobs are not advertised anyway, and people who get hired never responded to advertisements. Research has shown that 25 percent of people lie on their résumés. Hiring managers have a basic mistrust about résumés, preferring candidates who are recommended. Some news articles profess that only one-third of job openings are advertised. That means that two-thirds of job openings are invisible to most job applicants. Here are some more facts: Big companies are eliminating jobs as a result of their mergers-and-acquisitions activities, while small and medium-size companies are creating jobs. Small companies have problems attracting talent and are thus often settling for less-than-perfect candidates. The job market is localized. Plumbers in New Orleans could be doing well, while those in other cities could be doing poorly. At the same time that companies are laying off people, they could be hiring in areas where other employees are needed. Ten percent of the current job market is contingent (part-time, temporary, or contract). Two-thirds of all new jobs are on a contingent basis. The chances of a contingent job’s becoming permanent are very good because the employees in them are known quantities. So, what should job seekers do to increase their chances of getting employed? Here are a few suggestions. It takes a minimum of 40 job-search work hours a week to get a job. Research has shown that many unemployed people spend less than 10 hours a week. One has to make several contacts in the same company to get hired. It is a multistep and protracted effort. Nothing happens fast when one is looking for a job. People get jobs by talking to people. Improve your verbal and written communication skills. You should be working on at least 50 leads at all times. Don’t be discouraged by the voices in your head saying you cannot do it. By following these suggestions, people in transition will not only speed up the process but also increase their chances exponentially.

Using Resume Activities to Help You Improve Your Resume

Using Resume Activities to Help You Improve Your ResumeIf you are looking for ways to improve your resume and cover letter, then resume activities can help. These activities can actually be very important because they allow the resume to be read by a recruiter.How do these activities work? The first thing to remember is that the recruiter wants to see all of the information that is included in the entire document. However, only certain parts of the document are going to be seen.The recruiter will want to know the exact dates that your job was completed. They will also want to know how many months you worked in each position. In addition, the recruiter is going to want to know what types of positions you held.Specific resume activities can be used to help you fill in some of the blanks. By listing out these points you can increase the chance that the recruiter will notice your application.When listing out your experience, you can use these resume activities. If you have several differ ent positions you can use one activity to list them all out. Then you can utilize another activity to place them in an order from most recent to oldest.For example, you can list the job titles in reverse chronological order. The most recent position would be at the top, followed by the oldest positions. In addition, you can use this approach if you do not have any job titles for each position.After activities are complete, they can be submitted to the employer. Remember, the employer is using this document to make sure that they are hiring the right person. Therefore, it is in their best interest to get everything that they need from the resume.Remember, the common activities that are listed on resumes are what the recruiter will focus on. Therefore, if you use these activities to help you improve your resume you will not only be able to enhance your chances of being hired, but you will also help yourself get more interviews.

Reviews wanted ) - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Reviews wanted ) - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog As you may know, my first book Happy Hour is 9 to 5 has just been republished in English. Im currently looking to get as many reviews for it on Amazon in the next 24 hours as possible, so if youve read it, could you possibly go on there and review it? That would be awesome! And if you could even repeat that on Amazon UK, that would be even better :) Link to the book on Amazon. Link to the book on Amazon UK. THANKS you rock! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Business Networking for Beginners - Part One - Jane Jackson Career

Business Networking for Beginners - Part One - Jane Jackson Career Business networking is certainly nothing new, but the recent explosion of networking opportunities fuelled by social media can make the proposition of entering the networking fray a confusing and ultimately time-consuming activity for business owners wanting to make new contacts and grow their businesses.The number one thing to remember before you even enter the networking event room is  YOU CAN DO THIS!   OK, it’s not the most comfortable or easy step to walk into a room of strangers and introduce yourself but be prepared, take a deep breath and do it.You will be glad you did. Just a note for the over-confident too â€" don’t go into a new group all guns blazing either â€" you’ll just come over as annoying!So how to choose a group or event to attend?   Firstly, ask some of your business contacts if they go to any, but a search online for ‘business networking near me’ should return plenty of results for you to investigate.   From this list of search results, the networking o pportunities offered will most likely fall into one of these types of groups:Highly Organised, High CommitmentOtherwise known as strong contact networking groups these are not for the faint-hearted, but beginners are very welcome. They require a high level of commitment both in time and money. BNI is strong all over Australia, indeed the world, and is a great example of this type of networking group.Highly Organised, Low CommitmentProvided by larger organisations with less time or financial commitments than strong contact networking. Small Business Association of Australia and Local Government organised networking fits in here.Relaxed and Human Connections FocusedEvents such as the very popular #LinkedInLocalSydney  events which have a strong focus on the human-to-human connection rather than business pitching and sales focused are attracting groups betwen 20 â€" 100 .These networking events encourage ‘online’ connections who reside in a geographic location to take their network ing ‘offline’ and meet face to face to get to know the real people behind their LinkedIn profiles. Sydney events are run by Jane Jackson, Career Management Coach and LinkedIn Trainer and Jillian Bullock, The LinkedIn Ninja DownUnder.Special Interest GroupsThis may not be what you expect â€" it’s not the interest of or the actual businesses in the group â€" it’s usually what the group is organised around. Some charities and sports clubs hold occasional networking events, think out of the box and you will probably find a useful networking group in there somewhere.Professional and Trade AssociationsSpending time with professional and trade associations is more about raising your profile, being ‘in the know’ and meeting people who may help or recommend you to others.This is especially helpful for Job Seekers who are looking to meet decision makers in their industry or to expand their network in a new industry. It’s an invaluable part of networking and shouldn’t be overlo oked.Mingling with your competition can arm you with information you wouldn’t otherwise have so do hang out with them occasionally!Online and Social MediaThere are a lot of new places to promote your business and network online.   In the case of social media, a huge proportion of this is little more than businesses posting their advertisements into a page or group but in fairness it’s not easy to start a really good online networking group.Look for local events and groups that your potential customers may be interested in and get involved. As mentioned earlier, #LinkedInLocal events are a perfect way to meet the connections you’ve made online.Special Events Look out for one-off and special events. Sometimes big networking clubs hold free or discounted open sessions that allow you to get a foot in the door. Also look out for speed networking opportunities which can be great, especially if you are new to the experience.Its a bit of a baptism of fire but the plus side is you will have no time to be nervous or feel like a spare part!   You will also master your super-fast networking pitch to perfection.   Expect to speak to 100 or more fellow business people in a morning session so a bottle of water and business cards at the ready and GO!Found an event? You will need Business cards and/or flyers (plenty of them) are a must for any networking event.   Unless you know you are presenting you dont really need any in-depth business materials with you.Useful online business card tools such as slideit.io make exchanging contact information super easy as you can send your digital business card via SMS on the spot and schedule follow up calls via the app too.If possible, get the attendee list before the event.   This helps you pinpoint contacts you want to make. Check for anything attendees are asked to bring along or fill in before the event.Wear something with pockets preferably two one for contacts cards and one for yours, or a cross-body bag works well for this .   The key is to deal with cards efficiently without getting in a muddle.If taking a larger bag, use one that sets down on the floor or table without falling over youll only waste valuable time fiddling with it!Dress smartly, appropriate for your profession but also comfortably, you could be on your feet for a while.Make sure your business social media profiles are up to scratch no point putting in the time and effort to meet people face to face, only to be let down online.   There is something of an après-event connecting culture, especially on LinkedIn so be certain that you are on there, up to date and looking good!Whether it’s your first time or you are a seasoned networker, knowing who you are likely to find in the room can help to organise some priorities and seek out your best opportunities.   Having said that, never discount anyone from your efforts, networking people know people and referrals are the name of the game.Many speak to lots of other networkers and have dee p, wide pools of contacts they can refer you to.   Also bear in mind how online networking such as LinkedIn will show their contacts YOUR details if you connect with them.Who are you likely to find at a networking event?The Senior ProfessionalThis person is very likely to be a speaker at the event.   They are experts in their field.   They are often more approachable than you may expect and are usually open to adding to their existing extensive base of contacts. Connect with these people by asking about them, their book, Twitter name, who they have worked with and where.They may ask you what you do, they may not, this is probably not one for a sales pitch unless there is an obvious match.   If you can ask them something that they can get back to you on that’s great â€" it gives you an excuse to connect by LinkedIn or email after the event and keep the conversation open.Simply being connected or associated with these people can help raise your profile.The OrganiserThis person could work for the networking organisation or be a local member.   These people know EVERYONE, they have LinkedIn connections coming out of their ears!Try to find out what the organiser does, if you have a match between your businesses they will have you in their diary for a post-event appointment in a flash.The MLM’er (Multi Level Marketing)These  are people involved with larger businesses who use an independent sales force to sell their products and/or services. They work on sales commissions and compensation plans. What they want is MORE TEAM MEMBERS.   Essentially these people are on one big recruitment drive.Some have other business interests and will register for the event as that but then bring their MLM opportunity into the conversation.  They like sole traders, the self-employed, anyone in sales and stay-at-home parents who they could add to their unsalaried sales team.Their upstream organisation provides them with almost everything they need to run their show, so it is unlike ly they will venture outside of that for other business supplies or services.The Charity ExecutiveThese people are quite interesting, they are passionate about the charity they represent and tend to come from a solid charity sector, marketing, PR or event management background.Their main aim is to find sponsors for events and the like and they often have venues or other services belonging to their charity that they want to sell. They really like the word FREE and this can help you reach further into their organisation for contacts relevant to your business.For example, offering to Tweet or share in your Facebook group their event details usually goes down well.   Building relationships and associating with charities is good for business and you never know who is involved with any one charity at a higher level.The FranchiseeFranchisees come in many forms and experience and from many different sectors.   Franchisees are not to be confused with MLM’ers as they are not normally on a r ecruitment drive.  Franchisees are open to help, contacts and new markets for their products and/or services.To make the differences clear a franchise owner has paid a company for the right to operate a business for that company’s products or services, most often within an agreed territory.   This is usually a substantial investment â€" essentially buying a business off the shelf.The TherapistsEssentially Freelancers, Therapists warrant their own category. Covering a wide variety of services including Physiotherapy, Life Coaching, Alternative Medicine, Self-Improvement, Personal Branding, Wellbeing and the list goes on.Their goals for networking vary but essentially, they are looking for new customers to bring their therapy to. That could either be to deliver the therapy itself to workers, provide training in the therapy or to use their specialist knowledge to deliver an improvement course within organisations.These people are usually very passionate and focused on what they do.   They are open to hearing about services that will give them more time to spend with their clients or to develop courses.The FreelancersAnother very diverse group of people who stand apart in so far as they 1) work in their own business, usually as self-employed and 2) have specialist skills.This includes VAs, PAs, web designers, copywriters, code programmers, digital designers, film makers, single practice accountants, specialist solicitors, travel planners, event organisers, photographers, you get the picture I am sure.   These people are looking for new customers to deliver their services and skills to and the business network ethos of referrals works well here.They want you to refer them and will refer you in turn.   These people probably have the most useful networks of contacts, they tend to know someone for every requirement so if your niche is a bit different or you have a speciality, they are sure to add you to their database of useful people!Business networking is made for The Freelancers â€" they are used to running the show in their business and are usually confident in what they do and know how to talk about it.The SMB SpecialistsThis group is made up of professionals and consultants who are not so interested in The Freelancers or the MLM’ers â€" these people are seeking the small to medium sized businesses.HR Consultants, lawyers, people from larger accountants and insurance company representatives fall into this category.   Some are independent, some work as agents and others are employees.These people are on the lookout for small companies that are growing, taking on more staff, new premises etc.   There can be some quite quirky specialists in this group and it is always worth listening as your business may need their services one day.Now you have everything to prepare you for your chosen networking event! Next, we will look at what happens at and after a networking event.To attract opportunities and interest in what YOU do, you need a strong Personal Brand this FREE MASTERCLASS, 3 Secrets to Personal Branding for Career Success shows you how.Carolyn Strand is a guest blogger, Digital Marketing specialist and Managing Director at C J Strand Ltd.