Soft Skills in the Workplace First Day Dos and Donts

Soft Skills in the Workplace First Day Dos and DontsSo youve applied, interviewed, receivedthe job offer, filled out all the paperwork, andread through the company orientation manual. Now what? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Joining a new company often means learning what systems are already inprogress. Who do you report to? How will you be given new assignments? Do youget to prioritize for yourself, or will your teamberaterin be managing your day-to-daytasks? You cant meet or exceed expectations if you dont know what they areYour First Day In The OfficeMake sure you bring something to write with and something to write on If youreinvited to attend meetings right away, sit back and observe its usually better to directany questions to your immediate supervisor or office neighbor later, instead ofdisrupting the discussion. Draw yourself a seating chart to record your newcoworkers names and where they sat (it will help you to put names with faces) andtake elendes to start getting up to speed.DOs1. Take initiativeThis doesnt mean going rogue or being resistant to existingcompany practices, but you can demonstrate that youre an independent thinkerby coming up with your own way to complete an assignment and running it byyour supervisor to get approval. They may appreciate that youre alreadythinking of ways to innovate. If they want to redirect you, be receptive to thefeedback.2. Get to know your neighborsSet a goal of introducing yourself to one coworkera day until you know at least everyone on your team or anyone with whom yourdepartment interacts regularly. Dont be distracting or monopolize their time, but even a few moments of chattingas you refill a cup of coffee can help you develop working relationships with yourcolleagues.3. Volunteer for projectsIf youre in a meeting and someone higher up the foodchain is looking for someone to lead a new project or supervise the execution of anew initiative, consider whether you r workload could accommodate an plus-rechnen(and check with your boss). Its better to be the person who says Yes, I canhandle that for youanything else? than the person who sits silently while anopportunity passes them by.DONTs1. ComplainEven if your old office gave out free coffee and omelets everymorning and all your new office seems to have is stale animal crackers, youshould approach your first weeks on the job with a continuation of your bestinterview behavior. Dont let your reputation become that of somebody whogripes instead of saying good morning, or is convinced the grass was greener onthe other side of the fence.2. Act helplessIf youre really and truly stuck, dont waste time struggling underthe radar. But with run-of-the-mill IT issues, small-scale office needs, or learningnew software, cultivate a sense of self-sufficiency. A needy employee distractscoworkers and signals the boss that theyre not ready for mora responsibility.3. Get too comfortable too quicklyBe aware of t he prevailing office culture anddo your best not to disrupt it by cluttering shared space or bringing in too manyphotos or knickknacks from home. Theres always time to bring more of yourpersonality into the office once youve established yourself as a professional first,a cat or dog or sports enthusiast second.4. Mock HR PoliciesWhether your orientation was a quick spin around the officecomplex or a more formal company-wide presentation, demonstrate yourprofessionalism by taking them seriouslyfrom the basics, like adhering to a dresscode, to the legal standards of conduct, like refraining personal comments aboutyour coworkers.

6 Enviable Qualities of People With Grit

6 Enviable Qualities of People With Grit What does it take to be number one? Ask this question, and you will undoubtedly be met with a variety of answers. Courage to press on, resolve when things mess up, and strength of character to persevere would all likely appear on the list. All of these abilities are exhibited by those who have grit, and gritty people possess the following super enviable qualities1. They confront problems head on.Gritty people demonstrate tenacity. The weak-willed may sweep things under the rug, but those who have grit know the only way to achieve their goals is to solve what stands in their way. Those with grit work to find solutions to their problems instead of worrying about them and hoping that they disappear.2. They go after what they want.Rather than waiting for opportunities to chose out of the sky and into their lap, those with grit binnenseek out chances to achieve their goals. They put in the work, even if its not always easy. If they want a promotion , they dont sit around talking about how they deserve it they take on additional responsibilities without being asked, devote extra time to assigned tasks, and go out of their way to make sure they have face time with their boss whenever possible. They chase their goals because they know their goals wont chase them.3. They take chances.Those with grit dont let fear of striking out keep them from playing the game, and they believe the risk is often worth the reward. They understand that their self-worth is not directly tied to their instant success, so if they try something and it doesnt work out the first time, they see it as a learning opportunity to fail better until they get it right.4. They know who they are.While those without grit may let insecurities hold them back, people with grit believe in themselves, and that belief pushes them to persevere when others give up. Having a strong sense of self enables them to bounce back from mistakes. Thinking about how others see you is a waste of energy, and gritty people devote their energy to attaining their goalsnot wondering how others perceive them.5. They are detail-oriented.Those with grit examine things from multiple angles, and rather than speeding through tasks, they take time to truly understand what is being asked of them. Because they value doing their best work, they consider each step they take carefully to make sure the direction they are heading in will truly produce the greatest results.6. They focus on long-term goals.Beginning a project is exciting, but as time goes on and roadblocks occur, throwing in the towel and taking it easy can start to look pretty appealing. Gritty people are able to see past one hard practice or sleepless night and visualize the light at the end of the tunnel. Though it isnt always fun, they understand that the elation of a job well done is more satisfying than getting halfway to the top and stopping.--Kayla Heisler is an essayist and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. She is a contributing writer for Color My Bubble. Her work appears in New Yorks Best Emerging Poets anthology.

Taking a gap year

Taking a gap year Taking a gap yearPosted October 13, 2011, by Helen IsbisterTaking a year off after school to embark on an international escapade is a fantastic way to throw off the cobwebs before leaping into a career or more study. Whether you decide to spend the time working, volunteering or just exploring, a gap year is a fantastic way to gain maturity, experience and independence. While a gap year is mostly about having a good time, it can also increase your chances of career success. Having one on your resume demonstrates lots of desirable life skills and most employers would prefer to hire people who know a bit more about the world than what theyve read in a textbook.The saying the world is your oyster is never truer than right now, so take a deep breath, think outside the square and jump inVolunteeringVolunteering allows you to be more than just a tourist. It will take you behind the scenes and up close with cultures, people and languages all while you make a positive diff erence in the world. You can become involved in a huge variety of projects in nearly every country in the world. Depending on your skills and interests, you might choose to help out in teaching, care, community, conservation, media or construction. Who knows? You could find yourself saving sea turtles in Costa Rica, teaching children in Cambodia, working with orphans in Cape Town, or building wells in Ghana.Working holidayThe traditional gap year is to take a working holiday overseas. It kills two birds with one stone funding the experience while you live itThere are plenty of organisations that will set you up with a job before you even leave Australia, so you can confidently rock up in another country knowing youll have cash coming your way. Many of these organisations will also help with sorting out your visa as well.The most popular destinations are naturally English speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, but that isnt to say you cant venture further afield.Lots of gappers choose to work in boarding schools, pubs, ski resorts or summer camps most of which offer staff accommodation and a network of Aussies, Kiwis and Canadians who are also pulling pints or operating chairlifts to pay their way around the worldStudent exchangeEmbarking on an overseas adventure doesnt necessarily mean burning all your books and shunning everything that is educationally inclined. In fact, the student life is a pretty sweet one and its even better if you get to do it in a foreign countrySchool leavers can sign themselves up to attend a foreign high school and live with a host family. Its a great way to get immersed in a new culture, learn a new language and make loads of new friends. And you get to live the high school life without the worries of looming final-year examsUniversity students also have plenty of opportunities to take their study abroad many unis have partner universities where students can take classes and transfer credit poi nts.Another alternative is for you to study with an Australian university or vocational education provider while overseas, via distance education. There is a plethora of courses that you can study online, covering every subject area, so its worth checking out the range of options.Another way of racking up international experience in the personenname of learning is to get involved with an internship in another country. i-to-i internship placements run from two to 24 weeks in fields such as health and medicine, marketing, tourism, sports and media.Au pairWorking as an au pair, or nanny, is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the culture of a country. You will live with a host family, receiving free rent and board plus a small wage in return for looking after the children. Through Au Pair Australia, you can organise a placement with a screened family in whichever country takes your fancy. With the exception of France, you dont need to be able to speak the local language before you t ake up the position but au pair placements are a great chance to learn or improve a foreign language and many come with an allowance for language lessons. Most placements are for between 10 and 12 months, but you can also book in for four- month summer placements in France or Italy.Australian Defence Force (ADF) eu-agrarpolitik YearThe ADF Gap Year program provides an opportunity for young Australians, who have finished year 12 (or equivalent) within the

50+ What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up

50+ What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up50+ What Do You Want To Be When You Grow UpINBOX Ive been working in the same field for the last 15 years and I got laid off. I liked my work, I was good at my work, but I didnt love it. Now I feel like Im at a crossroads. I thoroughly enjoyed what I did earlier on in my career. But now I dont know how to let the employer know that. How do I get back into what I used to do? Or do I just continue on with my mediocre but more recent work?There are 2 key criteria to consider when youre at, near, or over age 50, to decide whether to continue along your current career trajectory, make a pivot into either something new, or resume work from your past. Evaluate the strengths you bring to the table, then think about whether youll actually enjoy a professional opportunity to put them to use. Lets take a deeper look.Inventory Your StrengthsI offer a litmus test when it comes to inventorying your strengths. Ask yourself, What are the skills I have that an employer would cut me a check for every 2 weeks? These skills are central to the job, not tangential qualities like being, motivated, dynamic, passionate, a good kollektiv player, or a problem solver. Faux-strengths such as those have to do with BEing. The task here is to zero in on what you would be DOing.Searching the job boards can help you with this. Type in titles that strike your fancy at the moment, and pull up a few ads. Read them carefully. An ad for a sales manager will say, Manage high-performance sales teams, generate leads with consistency and determination, and drive revenue from new and existing accounts. Those phrases are what the employer would be paying you for every 2 weeks. Therefore, the skills required are Sales Management, Lead Generation, and Revenue Growth.Emphasize What You EnjoyIn building LinkedIn profiles for and with my candidates, we spend a significant amount of time on keywords these are the drivers of the profile. The first thing I do is identif y opportunities to cut the fat, by asking the person, What keywords currently listed in your Skills & Expertise section can you part with for whatever reason you dont do them, you dont want to do them, you dont remember how they got there Not wanting to do some particular area of expertise that you used to do is an important factor to consider. You can be good at something without necessarily wanting to do it. Early on in my own career, I was actually denied a vorrcken based on this reasoning. I had applied for position X in the organization, after holding position Y for 2 years. I was told, We want to keep you in position Y because thats where you perform well. I resigned from there within 60 days, and got position X at a competing organization. (By the way, thats a prime example of managing your career like a Boss you dont let others define you. You define you.)Cut out what you dont want to do anymore. I know that seems counterintuitive, as if youll miss out on opportunities. Yo u will. But every opportunity is not for you. And whats the point of getting opportunities that you dont.want.to.do?Snap Out Of Analysis ParalysisThe above are the only 2 factors I recommend you consider as you determine what professional path to pursue. Then, pursue it. Clarity doesnt come through thought. It comes through action. Make a decision. Embrace that decision. Then execute that decision and only that decision. Heres what I recommend to the candidates I work with well pursue objective A for some period of time. This approach helps us focus. Where you focus is where you will find what you want. Focus on objective A in order to get objective A. Then, at whatever point the candidate decides hes not seeing any movement, progress, or responses, we can move on to objective B. One focus at a time give it 100% of your attention and energy.Career clarity is essential, especially when youre in the age 50+ category. Statistics say it takes candidates over age 50 approximately 20% lo nger to get hired than someone whos age 41-45. Theres a cheat sheet and video training that will provide you with clarity on how age 50+ jobseekers are landing the right job and right salary in 8 weeks or less. Download yours today, to understand the steps in the correct order, and go from job searching to job found

Intro to the Management and Human Resources Dictionary

Intro to the Management and Human Resources DictionaryIntro to the Management and Human Resources DictionaryThe limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) Nobody needs to tell you that Human Resources (HR), management, and geschftlicher umgang professionals have a language all their own. Sometimes,figuring out theshared meaningsbetween their language and the one everyone else uses feels nearly impossible. There are so many different words and terms which have subtle shades of variation in their meaning. With this in mind, here is an ever-expanding, comprehensive glossary of Human Resources, management, and business words, terms, and concepts. For people who are beginning careers in business-related fields, the glossary will provide a growing resource over time. For those readers who are currently active HR, management, or business professionals, the glossary is a convenient, easily-accessible resource. Con tents of the Dictionary A search of the Web revealsa multitude of glossaries for the working and business professional. What has been missing until now are comprehensive dictionaries that provided the detailed examples and samples necessary to provide clarity about a word or concept. Few glossaries linked to additional Web resources that further defined the word or concept. In order to remedy that inadequacy,this glossary will provide examples, samples, and resources whenever possible. Unlike most dictionaries, this glossary will elend be organized alphabetically, but by concept and concept complexity. It will be easier for you to fully comprehend the subject you are looking up if all the information is in one place. The glossary will also begin with the most simple introductory concepts and progress to more complex ones. This way, you will be able to read the entire glossary from beginning to end without missing out on the basic information you need to understand the more complica ted concepts. If you choose to skip ahead or start at the end, you know you only need to backtrack in order to reference something you do not already understand. Lets Make the Dictionary Project Interactive Recently, a poll was run to test the interest of website visitors in a glossary.80 percent of the people who voted said they would like a glossary to be put together another17 percent of respondents said they would check it out. Please take the time to provide feedback about whether you find the glossary useful. The more specific your feedback, the faster changes and improvements can be implemented. Also of interest is which words and concepts you would most like defined in a handy, one-stop glossary. As you know, there are thousands of words that impact the business world. This is not intended to be a rewriting of Websters or the Oxford English Dictionary. This is meant to be a significant, useful tool for the business community. You may wish to bookmark this glossary so yo u can easily reference it and to check it frequently for updates. If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know? Stephen Wright, Comedian

Attention all new small business owners Its time to rip off the band-aid

Attention all new small business owners Its time to rip off the band-aidAttention all new small business owners Its time to rip off the band-aidFive steps to ensure the financial stability you need to start your own business. Its 6 A.M. Your alarm goes off youre about to begin your 9-to-5 day. But, unlike most of your co-workers, you also have a 5-to-9 day on top of that. You are an entrepreneur. You decided to start your own business, but are leery of quitting your day job. You have bills to pay. Youre unsure how successful you will be on your own. Too many worries to take the plunge. But plunge you must in order to give it your all and make a success of your own business.Have no fear, there are a few precautionary measures you can take to ensure financial stability. This will give you the push you need to just rip off that protective covering and quit your job. If you write out a plan and follow it to the letter, you should be fine.Heres what you need to doSet up a monthly budget, outlining the bills you MUST pay and setting aside the spending on things you dont really need.Make sure you have enough savings in the bank to cover your must pay bills for a period of time and give yourself that time to make a go at it.Limit your discretionary spending, curtailing all spending that is deemed unnecessary until you feel you are taking in a bit more than you are putting out. It may not be fun, but it will be worth it in the long run.As you take in income from your own business, instead of immediately going out and rewarding yourself, why not extend your time frame for going it alone, without re-entering corporate America just yet.Be realistic If you are not making the money you thought you should be making or enough to cover your bills after your window of time expires, reassess. Look for ways to cover those expenses, be it re-entering the workforce with a full-time job if you really must or compensating the loss of money with a part-time job and continue working on your own business.If you pledge to truly follow the rules youve set up for yourself, you should feel a little better about walking into your bosss office and giving notice. Remember, do it gracefully and make sure to always maintain that relationship as you never know when you may need it, be it as a future client or even a return to the workforce.

What does it mean to be great

What does it mean to be greatWhat does it mean to be greatWhat is fruchtwein obvious is also often most concealed. Much of what we think we know has depths never ventured to because we mistake the surface for the bottom. Such is the case, especially, with human zeugungsfhigial.There are two major theories of how history is shaped, the distinction between them being the degree to which individual humans have any say in it. The first is the deterministic one, arguing that everything that has ever been is a product of a long chain of causes and effects, one leading to the next, without any gaps- and it says that its not individuals that shape history but randomness, which particular individuals have no control over, creating the conditions for them to rise to challenges and for things to happen at exactly the right place at exactly the right time. The second theory takes the free-will stance, suggesting that if it werent for certain figures like, say, Alexander the Great or Charles Dar win and their determination, with or without the supporting conditions, the world would be different.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraThe truth, as is often the case, likely lies in some nuanced paradox that sits between ansicht theories. Thomas Carlyle, a 19th-century polymath, made his case for the latter with his famous workOn Heroes, Hero-Worship, and The Heroic in History, coining what is known as The Great Man theory. To study history, according to Carlyle, is essentially to read the biographies of the big names that we hear again and again. The novelist Leo Tolstoy, of course, argued otherwise, usingWar and Peaceto illustrate that its not the big names that change things but many small ones we never hear of. The historian Will Durant, too, argued otherwise, favoring a version of the former theory and the role of situations rather than any particular persons.In each versio n, however, the question that boils to the surface is this To what degree can individual humans alter the course of history? And more interestingly, the implication of this question?- ?at least as framed by Carlyle and those favoring the choice of free-will?- ?then, becomes Human greatness is something that is measured by size and impact and influence.Now, this idea of greatness is so banal on the surface that even talking about it feels hollow. Its a definition we have all internalized, and while we may have our own subjective lens through which we conceptualize it, for the most part, all of our own definitions are an extension of this cultural definition that partly stems from this dilemma. Greatness is action. Greatness is visibility. Greatness is more. Greatness is legacy. Everything that augments our image in the eyes of others can be called great. And if we stop here, then maybe what is seemingly obvious remains obvious The word greatness has a very particular definition, and when enough conditions meet it, we can feel good about using it. But what if we dig a layer deeper, to something less concrete but, perhaps, a little more sincere?Remains of the Dayis a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. Its about a butler named Stevens, and Stevens, after years of unwavering service at an old English country house sets off on a road trip to see an old colleague. Much of the book is narrated from his own point-of-view, jumping between scenes of present day and scenes conjured out of memories and flashbacks.There are many themes and threads running through the chapters, but one of the core ones concern work and dignity. In particular, Stevens spends a good portion of the narration attempting to figure out what it means to be a great butler. This question, of course, begins innocently enough but then evolves into such an unraveling of his identity that the distance between where he started and where he ends leaves behind only more questions. Nonetheless, early on, there is a de finition of greatness he gives, as he surveys the countryside of 20th-century England, wondering what makes it so different, that captures an essence that translates beyond the grip of natureAnd yet what precisely is this greatness? Just where, or in what, does it lie? I am quite aware it would take a far wiser head than mine to answer such a question, but it I were forced to hazard a guess, I would say that it is the very lack of obvious drama and spectacle that sets the beauty of our land apart.What is pertinent is the calmness of that beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, of its own greatness, and feels no need to shout it.History, in a sense, is a drama and a spectacle. When we read about it in books, it may be discussed as a series of interconnected facts, but in actuality, given the various complexities that arise when documenting something like the past?- ?such as the very subjective perspective of the writers, the limitations of ex isting knowledge, the exaggeration of cause and effect, etc.?- ?what we end up with is more a story than a science. And in this story, there are characters, good and bad, big and small, who do things. And if these characters happen to be the main ones, we measure their greatness according to the definition handed down to us.All of this changes, however, if we make a simple switch If instead of thinking of greatness as a definition, we were to think of it?- ?first and foremost?- ?as a feeling we experience when we sense something. And if we stay with this switch, the ability to evoke this feeling in others would be the truest and purest measure of greatness. Rather than using history, or legacy, or praise, or external validation as measuring sticks?- ?all things that can be manipulated with different forms of excess?- ?we did the exact opposite measure greatness not by what is present but by what is absent and what that absence says about everything that remains when the excess is st ripped away.One thing that becomes very clear to me any time I spend a sustained amount of time in nature, and around animals, is how bad humans are as collective designers. If you walk around in a relatively untouched forest or jungle, actually looking at the patterns surrounding you, comparing them to, say, the average downtown city, its hard not to be moved?- ?its like everything just fits, a puzzle that solves itself in recursive loop, where your attention isnt forced but quietly invited. Evolution has slowly stripped away the inessential, leaving only what is necessary. And what is necessary is, of course, skilled, because its survived the trials and tribulations of time and competition, but that skill isnt any more visible than it needs to be?- ?and that, as Stevens noted, is exactly why its visibility is so potent to our senses.The same can be said about people Those who are truly great dont fit definitions and categorizations of what it means to be great rather, theyaregreat by virtue of the feelings they evoke in other people. They are skilled, and they know who they are, and what they are capable of, and that can be picked up in all of the unconscious signals that the human brain uses to create our mental and emotional impression of the world at any moment. And, paradoxically, the less they do, the less effort they exert into showing what they know, the more their base competence shines through. And perhaps even more paradoxically, all of this eventually molds those external definitions and categorizations of what it means to be great as a byproduct.When we find ourselves around people like this, we generally have a hard time pinpointing exactly what it is that makes them different. We sense that something is indeed different because the emotions they evoke in us tell us so but rarely are we able to fully verbalize what exactly that something is. All we are left with is an intuition that there is more here?- ?in this space in front of us?- ?than is v isible to the naked eye.History can make people great, but most people are great in spite of history. They are great not because of what they are able to outwardly project about themselves, but more so, they are great because they dont need to project anything at all. They show nothing more than what is. And with that, their presence and their shadow sing louder than the words they speak.This article originally appeared on Design Luck.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people