Monday, December 30, 2019

Going gray Will silver hair hurt or help your career

Going gray Will silver hair hurt or help your careerGoing gray Will silver hair hurt or help your careerHelen Mirren, Christine Lagarde, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Jamie Lee Curtis. They each long ago went gray, and the move hasnt hurt their iconic careers.A little gray hair might even be a new fad, as Glamour reports that Jessica Biel and Katie Holmes dont hide and dye their gray, while 32-year-old Chrissy Teigen recently tweeted I have a skunk like streak of grey hair and Im actually very into it. My Cruella dreams are coming trueBut in the workplace for the rest of us, it is up for debate whether a full head of gray hair is a nod to the longevity of your professional career or a hindrance. The stigma of age is undeniable for women leaders culturally and professionally.But yet, the color of a woman leaders hair does not have anything to do with anything. Were not spending much time discussing whether or not the male CEOs are covering up their gray roots.Yes, blatant age discrimination is illegal, but more subtle age bias arrives in a swath of instances. Still, many women are choosing to go all gray, white or silver, as a nod to their natural state.Women are realizing that they dont have to cover something up that they would have previously felt pressure to cover, Hairstory colorist Julia Elena told Allure. In the past, getting wrinkles or gray hair was considered a bad thing, and I think people are less concerned with the signs of aging than they used to be.That would be a relief. A vintage ad for Wyeths Sage and Sulphur had the headline, Gray hair cost her her job She was willing and capable, but gray hair made her look old and slow. A younger woman would work more snappily, was the verdict.Hopefully, we have come a long way. Yet, ageism in the workplace is a reality for all women.Age discrimination is an open secret like sexual harassment was until recently, hauptstadt der seychellen Lipnic, the acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, recentl y told ProPublica.The good news is images of older women sporting gray manes is more common in advertising for a broad range of fashion offerings, including the brand, Athleta, marketed to women 35- 55 years old. The brand shuns the norm of young, very thin models and shows women of all ages and sizes. This may be trickling into the culture to make hair color choice a non-issue.Hairstylist Lorraine Massey, author of Silver Hair Say Goodbye to the Dye and Let Your Natural Light Shine A Handbook, recently told ABC7, I think we all have a little dysmorphia when it comes to our hair.That may have to do with subtle and overt ways of interacting with women leaders in the workplace.No matter how supported they are early on, and no matter how great the companys parental leave policies are, if women arent able to look at company leadership and see older women, women who have stayed the course and built their own careers, younger women wont have role models to emulate, Kejal Macdonald writes in Marketwatch. Without seeing older women being celebrated in the workplace, how will they see a future in which theyll be valued?This article first appeared on Fairygodboss.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Customize this Professional Business Analyst Resume Sample

Customize this Professional geschftliches miteinander Analyst Resume SampleCustomize this Professional Business Analyst Resume SampleCreate Resume Ralph Jensen100 Broadway LaneNew Parkland, CA, 91010Cell (555) 987-1234emailexample.comProfessional SummaryInnovative Business Analyst skilled at enhancing and optimizing geschftliches miteinander processes to ensure growth and success. Experienced with analyzing internal workflow process to identify areas of enhancement, developing and implementing business development plans, and assessing business requirements. Specializes at optimizing functional unit management.Core Qualifications Interdepartmental coordination Process analysis Business system enhancement Workflow optimization Business plan development System design Teamwork oriented OrganizationExperienceBusiness Analyst, August 2009 to PresentCityland Mechanical- New Cityland, CA Coordinated between departments to facilitate a cohesive business approach Identified company processes suited for workflow optimization or enhancement Analyzed internal company systems and proceduresBusiness Analyst, March 2005 to July 2009Cityland Mechanical- New Cityland, CA Assisted in defining and optimizing customer business processes and procedures to facilitate service Assessed and interpreted company data and conducted statistical analysis to discern procedural efficiency Determined company requirements and explored opportunities for technological upgrades and system enhancementBusiness Analyst, January 2000 to February 2005Aeros Technical- New Cityland, CA Analyzed internal business processes, functional unit management and operational workflow to determine areas for enhancement and optimization Developed and implemented business plan updates and formulated new business goals Assessed operational business requirements, identified opportunities for limitation and enhancementEducation2000 Bachelor of Science, BusinessSan Diego State University San Diego, CACustomize ResumeBusi ness Analyst Resume Questions1. Which skills are the best to list on a business analyst resume?Business analysts are ever more valuable in every industry as we enter a continued age of technology, automation, and consolidation. Focus your skills on the talents needed to help companies understand their inner workings and how to improve processes, tools, and systems for the evolving business landscape.These skills can include business process analysis, continuous improvement, data analysis, and trend identification. For further inspiration, check the list of skills in our business analyst resume sample and review skills sought in your target job advertisements.2. How do you list education on a business analyst resume?Keep your education as short as possible to leave more room for your work history and accomplishments. The education section should occupy the very bottom of your resume and should consist only of your relevant degrees and training.By relevant, we mean education related t o your target job. Your macram class might not matter, but your business analytics software certification will. List everything in reverse chronological order, with simple formatting like weve demonstrated in our business analyst resume sample.3. Whats the best resume template for a business analyst resume?In a business analyst role, youll rely on your ability to see patterns and organize them into something comprehensible to all levels of management throughout the business. Demonstrate this talent with a well-organized, achievement-based resume template that relies on modern styles and a more corporate look and feel.For a basic idea of resume organization, take a look at our business analyst resume sample and the sections depicted in the example. You can also take a look at our resume builder and say no more writers block by walking through the steps of resume design.4. What do you put on a business analyst resume for your first job?If youre fresh on the job market, you may fear co mpeting with more experienced candidates with documented work history. Theres no need to fear all you need to do is demonstrate intelligence, excellent analytical skills, and a willingness to learn. Employers value go-getters capable of building quickly from a new start.You can also rely on the strengths of your opening summary and skills section to sell your value. Describe what makes you a great candidate for the job by discussing work ethic and other core skills. For an example of a great summary, try our business analyst resume sample.5. What should you do to make sure your business analyst resume makes it past an ATS?The first barrier youll face in job searching is keyword optimization. Keyword optimization refers to the necessary balance of natural content to searchable keywords essential to passing an ATS, or Applicant Tracking System. These systems algorithms check your resume for keywords relevant to the job, score your match percentage, and either reject your application o r pass you to the next stage of screening.Use a skills section like the one in our business analyst resume sample to improve your chances. Review target jobs for necessary keywords, and integrate them in this section. Adapt them as needed for each application.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Personal finance is personal for a reason

Personal finance is personal for a reasonPersonal finance is personal for a reasonHave you ever elendiced how conflicting personal finance advice is?Even financial experts cant seem to agree on the most basic of topics such a debt, emergency funds, or homeownership. Why? Because personal finance is personal.There is no one size fits all solution. Of course, numbers are numbers. The math to get you where you want to be is what it is.But theres much more to it. If the math requires you to do things outside of your comfort zone, then the math likely wont work.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSo whats a person to do? How do we line up who we are with the math? Thats a great question. Its one I hope we can answer by the end of the post.Lets get started.Good Debt vs. badeanstalt DebtDave Ramsey, perhaps the most well-known financial expect alive today is adamantly opposed to debt of an y kind. To King Dave (sorry, I couldnt help myself), there is no such thing as good debt even if that debt is used to buy a home or to pay for college.In this two minute video, Ramsey tells you why hes anti-debt, in typical Dave Ramsey style. If youre not familiar with him, youll know what I mean by the end of the video.But Robert Kiyosaki, the well-known author of the best selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad disagrees. He says the rich use good debt to grow their worth, and they invest in cash flowing assets using Other Peoples Money (OPM)- both the banks and investors. OPM is a fundamental concept of Rich Dad and a sign of high financial intelligence.Debt EliminationNot only do financial experts not agree on debt, but they cant even agree on how to best pay off your existing debts. The two most popular debt elimination strategies areThe Debt Stacking MethodThe Debt Snowball MethodThe Debt Stacking Method is the strategy of paying off your debt with the highest interest rates first. Thi s is the preferred debt elimination strategy of personal finance guru, Clark Howard. He says if you have several (credit) cards, your first goal is to pay off the card with the highest interest rate. Pay more money toward that credit card and slightly less toward the other cards, until the card with highest-interest debt has a zero balance. Then you move onto the next card, and so on and so on.The Debt Snowball Method tells you to go after your debt with the lowest balance first. Dave Ramsey is a proponent of this method and so are the folks at NerdWallet, one of the largest personal finance websites on the internet. They believe that a system front-loaded with rewards can help keep you on track. Small victories up front keep you engaged.Paying off high-interest debt first is the smart move mathematically. But personal finance is more than a math equation. Emotions are involved and paying off the smallest balance debt first allows you to have a quick win. From a psychological standp oint, getting that win could be more beneficial to you, even if mathematically its the wrong move.Renting vs. Buying a Home (as an investment)Whether your rent or buy, your home is probably the largest expense in your budget. With so much money on the line, what do the experts have to say on the matter? That depends on who you ask.David Bach, author of The Latte Factor says if youre not prioritizing home ownership, youre making a costly mistake. He believes this is the biggest mistake Millennials are making. The most important advice I can tell you right now if youre young is Dont listen to these people that tell you should rent versus buy.Thats a very strong opinion. One that Jim Collins, author of The Simple Path to Wealth disagrees with. Collins argues that buying a home could be the worst investment ever constructed, any investment that ugly would make my skin crawl. In fact, Im not sure you could rightly call anything with those characteristics an investment at all.Conflicting Personal Finance AdviceDebt, debt elimination, and renting vs. buying are important financial topics that financial experts completely disagree on. The disagreements dont stop there. Look for advice on any number of financial topics and youll quickly find compelling, yet conflicting personal finance advice onHow to build an emergency fundUsing credit cardsEarning extra moneyBuying a carInvestingRetirementYes, even retirement is a source of conflict in the personal finance space. Im a fan of the FIRE Movement and am actively pursuing early retirement. And while I dont think everyone should pursue early retirement, everyone should pursue financial independence.I hope thats one financial goal that everyone can agree on, but someone will no doubt disagree on even that.Final thoughtsIf you spend enough time learning about personal finance then youre guaranteed to quickly run into differing opinions or outdated financial advice. When you do just remember that when it comes to personal fin ance, one size fits one.Dont let conflicting financial advice discourage youTake the advice that works best for your current situation and ignore the restUnderstand that what works for you today, might not work tomorrowBe willing to change your plan when you find a better way, or when circumstances changeDo all of this long enough and soon youll achieve your financial goals, but always remember that just because something works well for another person, doesnt mean it will work for you.A financial plan is like a toothbrush. Everybody needs one, but everybody needs their ownThis article first appeared on Money Mix.

Monday, December 16, 2019

How to Stop Being Lazy and Get More Done

How to Stop Being Lazy and Get More Done How to Stop Being Lazy and Get More Done Article by Paul BoneaHave you everhad to do a task with a long timeline, but you couldnt muster the will to complete it until 0.2 seconds before it was due?Of course you have - at least once. You wouldnt be human otherwise.And even if thetimeline were shorter,you mucksmuschenstill would have been able to complete the task on time, right? Why is that?At first glance, you might say Procrastination, duh But heres an alternative explanation that wont make you feel as schwimmbad.The phenomenon is called Parkinsons law, which states that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.The first person to observe and write about this phenomenon extensively was Cyril Parkinson, a British naval historian and public administration specialist. He noticed that the more time bureaucrats were given for a task, the longer it took them complete it. Shorten the allocated time, and things moved quickly again.We procrastinate for a wide variety of reasons, such as fear or simple laziness. However, theres also an evolutionary motivation behind laziness. Our ancestors lived in a world where food sources were nowhere near as plentiful as today. As such, they conserved energy for important tasks such as hunting, foraging, exploration, building, and so on. If an ancestor of ours wasted his energy on useless tasks, he wouldnt have been able to cope with the hardships of food gathering. So, in a counterintuitive evolutionary twist, laziness has proven to be an important trait in keeping our species alive.Which brings us back to Parkinsons law. Our biology urges us not to spend energy on a task that isnt (yet) important to our survival. So, we postpone, delay, avoid, create excuses, and so on.But then, the deadline comes. It pulls you out of idleness and gives you a sense of urgency. Deep down, you know that missing the deadline is bad for your survival, because it can cost you at leastyo ur work reputation,if not your job, income, valuable asplatzsets, friendships, and relationships. This fear pushes you to do an all-nighter to finish a project.However, there is a way to use Parkinsons law to send yourself into a mild survival mode where you actually get stuff done without lazing about (too much). How to Use Parkinsons Law 1. Get Used to Setting DeadlinesGiving yourself time constraints will force you to restructure work tasks so they can fit intoyour schedule.More complex projects and tasks with distant deadlines lull you intoa false sense of security. The work should be done now, but not now now. In cases such as this, breaking the main task down into smaller bits and assigning a deadline for each will make the components of the project feel more immediate, thereby giving you a sense of urgency that motivates you to complete the task.Deadlines can also help you work less - or at leastspend less of your time at the office. Its easy to treat the 5 p.m. threshold as more of a guideline than a rule, working past it in order to finish tasks you postponed throughout the day. The thing is, you almost always know when postponing the task will keep you overtime, and yet you are fine with it. Thats because you dont feel you lose anything by staying longer at office, which brings us to the next point. 2. What Do You Lose If You Dont Respect the Deadline?The easiest way to make yourself respect a time limit is to give yourself something to lose if you dont stick to it. Think about what you are missing out on by lingering at the office.If you came home earlier, you could watch a movie with your partner, relax in the kitchen while cooking your favorite dish, or work on that side project of yours. Instead, youre wasting all ansicht opportunities by doing last-minute work you could have done earlier in the day.A good way to keep yourself to a time constraint is to schedule something else right aftereach deadline you set. For instance, if you want to be sur e youll finish sending a bunch of emails by 6 p.m., schedule a date at 630 or 7. Now, you have real skin in the game. 3. Learn How to Create Reasonable DeadlinesThere are really only two reasons why you might want to use Parkinsons lawCut down on lost hours in which you could be doing something else.Stop feeling guilty and stressed about wasting time.When first applying the rule, you might feel overzealous and set yourself impossibly tight deadlines in an effort to work faster. This doesnt work. Instead, youll just end up giving yourself even more stress as you rush to meet the time limit. Not only that, but the quality ofyour work will drop, too.According to a study by Dan Ariely, a behavioral economics professor,self-imposed deadlines are effective, but people have difficulty properly optimizing them.Arielysexperiment involved groups of students submitting three papers over the course of a semester. The free choice group could choose their own submission deadlines. The control gro up, however, had to hand in their papers at a time set by the professor. Compared to the control group, the free choice students enjoyed their task less, and their papers had more errors.The point of the deadline isnt to enter a competition with the clock, but to cut down on stress and wasted time. If a task realistically requires six hours of work, dont try to do it in five. If you can complete it in seven hours, thats awesome. That extra hour isnt wasted time, but a buffer period for unexpected events such as an urgent phone call, a loss of concentration, or even just a short period of relaxation.- Parkinsons law can help you cut down on some of the wasted time and stress of your life - as long as youkeep the following in mind whenever applying the lawAlways have a deadline.What do you lose if you cant keep the deadline?Is the deadline realistic?And one other thing Be gentle with yourself. See the time limit as a tool to help you out, not a race to be won.A version of this articl e originally appeared onSUCCESS.com.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

8 Phrases That Are Killing Your Cover Letters

8 Phrases That Are Killing Your Cover Letters8 Phrases That Are Killing Your Cover LettersFew people like writing cover letters. As a result, they tend to fall back on cliches and fluff that doesnt strengthen their applications, but in many cases, weakens them. See how many of unterstellung eight phrases you recognize from your own cover letters and if you spot any, nix them immediately1. Dear Sirs. If youre still opening business letters with this salutation, assume youre offending and turning off at least half your recipients. Its 2015 you shouldnt be discounting the idea that a woman is making hiring decisions. (And if you still think that sirs is the generic plural for both men and women, its time to rethink that.) Frankly, even dear sir or madam is outdated enough at this point that it comes across as stuffy. Its fine to simply go with dear hiring manager if you dont know the hiring managers name.2. Im writing to apply for the analyst position you have open. Whats wrong with t his? Nothing unless you forgot to replace the position title from some other application you sent off. A startling number of job applicants send cover letters addressed to the wrong person, naming the wrong company or expressing interest in a position that doesnt even exist at the place theyre applying, because they forget to customize the details of the letter for the job theyre applying for.3. Im uniquely qualified to do this job. For some reason, this phrase has become popular with job seekers, and its a weird one. The thing is, unless youre intimately familiar with all the other applicants for the job, you have no way of knowing whether youre uniquely qualified or the best qualified. (And in my experience, the people who use this line rarely have unusual qualifications.) 4. I work well independently and as parte of a team. This is another phrase thats become oddly popular in cover letters. But making this assertion is like announcing that you show up on time and shower regularl y its expected, not something you need to specially call out and brag about. If working in groups or independently is particularly important for the job youre applying for, you can illustrate that by providing concrete examples of times youve excelled at doing that but simply proclaiming the ability doesnt strengthen your letter and ends up watering it down. Speaking of simply proclaiming things 5. Im a hard-working, detail-oriented, proactive self-starter with great communication skills. First, these are all cliched buzzwords. But perhaps even more importantly, it gets you exactly nowhere to simply proclaim that you are these things. If you want to convince a hiring manager that youre detail-oriented or take initiative, the way to do that is by talking about accomplishments that use those skills and demonstrate those traits. Dont just announce that you are _________ show it, by describing what youve achieved that illustrates it.6. I dont believe a cover letter andrsumcan really te ll you what I have to offer, so I hope to meet in person.Employers generally do believe a cover letter andrsumcan tell them what they need to knowat this stage in order to decide whether its worth talking further. Deriding the process theyve chosen to use isnt likely to endear you to them.7. Im seeking a salary of $X. Unless youre specifically instructed to include your salary expectations in your cover letter, no mention of salary belongs there. Some candidates announce their salary requirements in their cover letters without anyone ever asking, and they often end up wildly underpricing themselves compared to what the employer is planning to pay. Theres no reason to undercut yourself (or potentially guess too high) when no one has even asked you to name a number.8. Ill call your office next week to schedule an interview. This is overly pushy and aggressive and will turn off many hiring managers. Youve already done your part youve expressed interest by applying for the job. Now its in the employers court to review your application along with the others theyve received and decide if theyre interested in talking further.Alison Greenwrites the popularAsk a Manager blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search and management issues. Shes the author of How to Get a Job Secrets of a Hiring Manager, co-author of Managing to Change the World The Nonprofit Managers Guide to Getting Results and the former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management.

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Importance of Resume Indeed

The Importance of Resume Indeed Instead, a fundamental font can be more impressive than one which isnt possible to understand. The mixture of our templates and your input is likely to make your resume fly to the peak of any pile. Have a peek at these examples to choose which format is most appropriate for you. The format of your resume can play a considerable portion of your very first impression. Constructing a resume is an intimidating task should you do it alone. Writing a strong application is a difficult procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Indeed said the procedure minimizes bias that may occur in the hiring process. As soon as an opportunity arises, youre going to be the best equipped to seize it as you have never stopped learning. Once youve reviewed resumes in your field, peruse resumes across fields to learn how to vary using action verbs and receive a feel for what makes an effective accomplishment statement. What Everybody Dislikes About Resume Ind eed and Why Assess your present status and profile on LinkedIn and make it appear larger and better. You are able to enter your social websites profile address for an extra point of contact. The majority of the second youll have to establish an account for each company site. You cant just say as soon as an info you least expect will pop-up to earn a mockery of whatever you represent or have said in your LinkedIn profile. It is vital to have the perfect LinkedIn profile strategies for success with exploiting the gains of LinkedIn. Also, its also helpful to find expert aid with editing LinkedIn profile for errors. Facebook is mucksmuschenstill another social platform with a tremendous user base. If you create your resume private, then you are going to not appear in a resume search. There are additional benefits in staff motivation and a positive effect on the firms bottom line. Another step is to speak with a collection of executive recruiters. There are a lot of jobs on th e jobs portal with preferred location for those candidates to apply and be part of any renowned business. If youre attempting to obtain work in accounting or finance you require averystrong resume. Hiring agencies will try to find certain terms in your resume to make certain that you have the experience theyre seeking. Employers are seeking concrete skills. They care far more about your successes, and how you can mirror them at their company. Many employers cross-reference your resume to your on-line presence. The Resume Indeed Pitfall Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that will allow you to get your fantasy job. You need to understand that the interview is a previous step in the recruiting procedure. Indias very first job portal ensures job seeker to become part of it and take pleasure in the ride by getting driving jobs thereby.Its tempting to try and create an extensive set of rules which will effectively match a candidate to a work automatical ly. Thus, candidates dont depart from your site and shift to any other. Be patient with recruiters, because the possibilities are that they will have a position you may be interested in. If youre applying to a position in another nation, learn what the resume expectations are for that nation. There are a few things that dont belong on a resume for work. Furthermore even in the event the job is in another country an individual can apply for it all of the way sitting at your house . Federal jobs often need you to have experience in a special type of work for some period of time. Later a couple of things about filling out an application for job and things to pay exclusive attention to. Resume Indeed - Overview Again if the business has more than more word, be certain that you use quotations. Possessing a very clear and professional resume is essential in the medical field. At some point, the recruiter receives a strong database and a great absprache of choices to select from . Therefore, it becomes quite important to streamline the whole candidate selection procedure to accelerate recruitment and boost efficiency.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Introducing Ask Jo

Introducing Ask Jo Introducing Ask JoPosted March 4, 2013, by Career FAQs team When your careers making you crazy and your jobs all a-jumble, who do you turn to? Ask Jo Our online career advisor. Career FAQs new fortnightly advice column tackles some of the most common career conundrums, as submitted by our readers. For all manner of professional pickles, big and small, Jo is here to offer her expert guidance and counsel. So whether youre stewing over study options, in a beef with your boss or at a career crossroad, just ask Jo Jo Messer is a Career Development Specialist with many years of experience in supporting and guiding students and graduates of some of Australias most respected universities, as well as mature-aged clients, across all facets of their career. She is a Professional Member of CDAA and an active member of NAGCAS. Whether you have a specific question about how to achieve your career goal or something more general, Jo is available to provide you with up-to-date advice. See what advice Jo has to offer on this months career queries Hi, Im going into my first year at uni and thinking of doing some volunteer work but Im not sure how I find out what types of opportunities are out there? I didnt get my first preference and am enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts but I really want to be a secondary school teacher. What do I do? ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice Administrator CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire angeschlossen Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCareer FAQs teamRelated ArticlesBrowse moreEMPLOYER RESOURCESHuman ResourcesHow to hang onto your employeesWith a recent survey revealing th at more employees are starting to look at greener pastures, it is more important than ever for employers to look at ways of retaining their staff.Career progressionPay/Salary10 High-Paying Jobs You Wont Need A Degree ForDidnt go to uni? Dont have a degree? Dont let that hold you back. Vivien takes a closer look at 10 career paths that will have you swimming in dough, not drowning in HECS debt.Natural TherapyNaturopathyNatural Medicine WeekAnyone interested in natural medicine and the important role natural medicine practitioners play should get involved in this years Natural Medicine Week, kicking off May 21.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

4 Ways to Use Job Hopping to Your Advantage - The Muse

4 Ways to Use Job Hopping to Your Advantage - The Muse4 Ways to Use Job Hopping to Your AdvantageIts completely normal to change jobs every few years. The days when people clocked in and out at the same company for years (and years) on end are over- no one expects that anymore. In fact, you might even be judged if you stick around the same company for too long.And yes, with all this moving around, people dont develop the same kind of loyalty that comes with working at the same firm for 25 years. Again, thats OK. Whats not OK is bouncing around from position to position, leaving the job the second you get bored.Why? Because youll earn a reputation as a job hopper, and after you hop one too many times, employers will start to worry that youre not taking your career seriously. A 24-year-old exploring her options is fine. A 34-year-old whos had a different job every year since graduation, not so much.So, how can you prove youre committed to your career path without sticking around at you r current company forever? Well, there are four things you should do at every single job- for your own personal career growth, but also to prove to a hiring manager that youll make a positive impact on the company, regardless of long you stick around.1. Learn Something NewIf theres only one thing you can say to prove your time with a company was well spent, it should be that youve learned something you didnt know before. Maybe you had a marketing position and you mastered a new software application thatll help you harvest and apply data to drive successful campaigns. Maybe you did some cross-functional work between operations and sales to better understand customer requirements. Or, maybe you attended weekly strategy sessions and drew some innovative conclusions on the future direction of your industry.Whatever you do, be sure youre always learning and growing. Most employers will give you these development opportunities, but smart employees will find a way to seize them regardless. If no ones offering this learning experience to you, seek it out within the company or take classes elsewhere.2. Accomplish Something HardIts no secret that career growth demands progress, and progress requires accomplishments. Thats why its easy to spot the difference between those who switch jobs out of boredom and those who do so to further their careers. The former group will come across as flighty and indecisive, unable to point to any worthwhile endeavors on a resume. The latter, on the other hand, will have meaningful and specific obstacles theyve surmounted.When youve only got a few years with a company, you need to demonstrate and test your ability as often as you can. These displays of productivity show future employers that youre a person who gets cracking on day one, someone who thrives on setting and achieving his or her goals. If there are currently no challenges in your way, create one (by launching a new initiative, not by deleting the companys data server), and ove rcome it.3. Make Some Mistakes, Then Learn From ThemLook, nobodys perfect. Advancing your career is a process that often requires a few stumbles along the way- so before you leave a job, be sure to try and tackle something you arent completely certain you can do. If you make mistakes, then so be it. Youll show people youre not afraid to test a theory and see what happens. In fact, you might discover theres more value to extract from your current position, in which case it might not be time to leave yet. Or you might uncover some truths about what you truly enjoy at work and where you want to go in the future.The bottom line is that character and determination are built through trial and error. So, be sure that each position you hold is one in which you have to overcome a difficulty, take responsibility, and inevitably grow from the experience.4. Get- and Stay- ConnectedEveryone knows that the world of recruiting and referrals has been forever changed by social media. Its easier than ever to leverage networks like Twitter and LinkedIn to find new job opportunities, which is why you should establish connections with as many colleagues as you can while you are working with a company. You never know when youll be able to help them out with a referral down the road, or request a reference for yourself.Keep in mind that connecting- truly connecting- is about a lot more than just friending someone. Its about taking the time to get to know each person you add to your circle. While that can entail untersttzung or teaming up for a project, it can also be as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee.With the number of career opportunities available today, its no surprise that people want to move around. But before you leave one job for the next, be sure youve done everything possible to get the most value out of the experience. If you dont, your resume will eventually reflect what youve missed- and more importantly, youll have let a good opportunity go to waste.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Bosses dont find you likable Here are13 reasons why

Bosses dont find you likable Here are13 reasons whyBosses dont find you likable Here are13 reasons whyWhile you might wish those days wzu siche a popularity contest mattered are over, the hard, cold truth is that being liked by those above you may make or break your career. As New York career coach, Carlota Zimmerman explains, likability can determine your life. From shopping to dating, whetherbei its getting a good deal on your dream home, or student loans, getting upgraded on a plane, to receiving faster care at the ER, likable people tend to move to the front of the line, she says. You want your babo to like you since shes the one determining who will get the opportunities necessary to achieve their career potential, and goals. You want your babo to like you so that when shes planning to attend that huge industry conference in Shanghai, she picks you to join her in first class. You want your boss to like you, so that when sh*t gets real - as the young people say - she can go to bat for you.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraTo make sure youre putting your friendliest foot forward, avoid these blunders that might make your boss wish someone else was doing your job.You give your boss a lot to manageUnless youre at the top of the totem pole or standing atop that glass ceiling at your own company, part of your role will always mean making your managers life easier. And while asking questions is part of learning and advancing your career, the more time your boss has to spend holding your hand, the more frustrated he or she might become. Your boss has a lot on their plate, and they dont have time to constantly babysit you. Micromanaging is leid fun for anyone, and though most employees say they dont like being micro-managed, if youre a lot of work, your boss probably feels like they have to use this method to get work done, explains career coach Colene Elridge . Instead of constantly asking for reassurance, smart employees figure it out or come to the boss with a succinct description of the problem and potential solutions. If you find it tough to resist the urge to ping your boss several times a day, Elridge suggests finding a coach or a mentor outside of your office to build your confidence. Gain the skills you need to more effectively do your job. Then find a mentor that can help guide you through your career. Mentors are great at helping you grow and develop, Elridge says.You fake it and dont produce resultsCongrats You earned an awesome promotion or finally got the lead spot for a project you wanted to spear. But now, the pressure is on dropping the tanzabend after a career growth moment can quickly make your boss doubt his or her decision. Though faking-it-until-you-make-it can work in certain cases, if youre throwing around fancy terms and answers, without actually understanding your responsibilities, you might make a big mess for y our boss to clean up. I cant tell you the number of organizations Ive worked with who have employees who dont do their jobs. Meaning, they do everything but produce results. Some blame falls squarely on the organization for notlage properly engaging their employees, but some falls on the individual. When you make the choice to not do your job, you make your boss have to work harder, and thats a key way to make them not like you. You were hired to do a job. Whatever the job is, there are expected results, and when you dont produce those results, theres a problem, Elridge says. Many people can stagnate for years at this level of middle management because they never learn how to stop bossing people and start leading people. How do you start to grow as professional, in a meaningful, impactful way? Elridge says its a slippery slope that might require some soul-searching to figure out why youre working where youre working, and what might be keeping you from being less than motivated. From there, baby steps are key. If you dont like the work, consider a career change. If youre just in a bit of a slump, pull yourself together and set a deadline. Momentum changes things. When you see yourself complete a project or task, you build more momentum to do better work, she adds.Youre not straightforward about things that dont workNo matter if its your dream job or just a starter gig to get you to the company you truly want to work for, there are going to be issues that arrive in every workplace. Though ultimately, its your managers responsibility to address workflows, gruppes or programs that simply arent working, its also part of your role to flag miscommunication or difficulties youre having. Why? When something goes wrong, productivity is the first to suffer. Any good workplace knows how to handle conflict. A workplace without conflict resolution skills is a recipe for chaos. It is not uncommon that people lack conflict resolution skills. Avoidance is not a tactic. Conflic t will happen, and though it can be uncomfortable, its not always a schwimmbad thing. If youre the type of person who avoids conflict or stirs up conflict in your office, my guess is your boss may not like you, Elridge says. Heres where its essential to put your creative thinking hat on by figuring out whats causing the trouble and how you might suggest fixing the issue to your boss. Approach your manager with a solution not just a complaint and let them take the reins from there.You dont impress himUsually, the bosss least favorite people are the ones who punch in the clock and contribute no more than they have to. Or they ask for more responsibility, but when asked to see a project through to the end, make excuses as to why they cant. The bottom line Promotable employees go above and beyond. So if youre not taking ownership for your own career path, why would you expect your boss to guide you along a highlighted, trackable path? Worst of all, if your boss has stopped coming to y ou because he knows he cant count on you, youre definitely not going anywhere in the company.There are only so many hours in the workday, and if your boss starts rolling her eyes, since shes just done with your discussions about why a project isnt finished youre in trouble. You want your boss to identify you as someone who solves problems, whom she can count on, not as someone who makes her life harder, Zimmerman says. Working in an office, making deadlines, keeping a business on track is difficult enough. When you consider that people have their own lives, with partners, children, mortgages, parents, Netflix queues, you begin to realize that very few good managers want any unnecessary stress in the office.Instead of doing the bare minimum and offloading the rest to your boss, consider why youre feeling disconnected. Your issues may be legitimate, but if they are making it difficult to get work done, if theyre contributing to a tense corporate environment, you and your issues may n eed to look for a new job, Zimmerman suggests.You make it all about you Bosses have to oversee teams, and the employee who is always trying to focus attention on themselves is a distraction to cooperation. Derailing team discussions to talk about your own goals, dominating planning, and refusing to see the bigger picture of team progress rather than your own are all manifestations of this attitude. While this type of self-first behavior might make you feel like a powerful executive at first, it doesnt do much to build a relationship with your co-workers, or more importantly, your boss. This applies on a personal level too when other people are talking, listen. You might not be interested in hearing about their random trip to the Finger Lakes, but its in your best interest to listen, anyway, as a way to show respect for their experiences.Consider this people you work with have to spend a minimum of eight hours a day with you. Wouldnt they prefer someone who is pleasant to spend that time with?People want to work with people that they like, not just people who are competent. Make an effort to develop a good working relationship with your boss. This does not necessarily mean that you always have to go out to lunch together. But it does mean that you should try to create a spirit of camaraderie between you, Zimmerman adds.You refuse to do simple tasksMaking copies? Creating a spreadsheet? Sending notes post-budget-planning meeting? Under no circumstances should you break any ethical standards for a boss, but for routine requests, the answer should always be - as far as you can swing it - yes. You might not find all of his or her tasks to be necessary, but your role is helping your higher-ups to meet deadlines and goals, so its worth your effort. If you dont do it or do it poorly you not only make yourself look bad, but the team, too.Years ago, I had a client who, on the first day of her new job, was given a detail-oriented project. She didnt do it. Not only di d she not do the project, but she also spent time that could have been used to make her deadline, writing out a long letter of excuses and apologies. Needless to say, her management was furiousand within two months, that new job was only an old memory, Zimmerman says. You may not understand the reason for the deadline, you may disagree with it, but if youre really trying to climb the ladder, make the deadline.If youre actually strapped for time and cant do a deep-dive into data before 6 p.m.? Dont just cross your arms and refuse to do something. Show you can think strategically. Instead of saying, I cant do that, and expect the boss to fix it, point to facts and numbers and make a case for another way Because our budget cant cover this right now, its a challenge to get this project done. Have we considered hiring an intern or distributing the workload among other teams? Heres how that would work.You refuse to understand the struggle of bureaucracyIn very few cases does management re sponsibility mean snapping your fingers and getting what you want. Managing takes maneuvering. Being a boss is very often a matter of managing bureaucracy to get things done. Some bosses are good at it, and some are terrible. But whats never helpful is an employee whos constantly talking down the company or asking why something hasnt already happened by now, exactly the way that employee wants it.You can create major headaches for your boss and everyone else on the job if you dont understand bureaucracy. As frustrating as dealing with bureaucracy can be, there is a certain protocol that is expected, and if you try to bypass the workings of bureaucracy in order to get things done, you will ruffle feathers along the way, explains career coach Cheryl Palmer. Your boss will probably take the heat because of your bad decisions. This, in turn, will affect how the boss perceives you. The best thing to do is to learn how the bureaucracy works and work within the system.Not everyone is cut o ut for the corporate world though, Palmer notes. If you cant see yourself conforming to the bureaucracy, she suggests looking for a job in a small company where there isnt as much bureaucracy to deal with or working for yourself.You make your boss look badJust like you, bosses like to look good in front of their bosses. If you do a good job, they look good. But if you undermine your boss by badmouthing them unreasonably to teammates or their own bosses, they usually find out, and they see you as a problem. A few years ago, a friend of mine was going through a rough patch in her life. She confided in a friend of hers, an attorney who owned a successful small practice, and he hired her, on a part-time basis, to help him out in the office. Sounds great, right? It was, except my friend simply couldnt stop herself from biting the hand that fed her. Whatever the boss said, she had to correct him, or one-up him, or simply make it clear to him that he might be a well-to-do lawyer, but she had a Masters degree, and he owed her respect, Zimmerman shared. After two weeks, all his compassion had drained away, and the next time she corrected him, he came down came the ax.There might be times when you dont agree with your employer or you think you could do a better job than him or her, but as Zimmerman says your boss is the boss and he or she is in charge. If you cant bite your tongue, you might want to consider seeking another job, where you can be at the top, or a manager you vibe better with.This article was first published n July 17, 2017.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Tech Terms Crash Course 19 Terms to Know

Tech Terms Crash Course 19 Terms to KnowTech Terms Crash Course 19 Terms to KnowAs you start learning about all things tech, youll probably ansturm across so many new vocabulary words that you feel like youre back in high school studying for the SAT again. To get you started, heres a guide to basic ?tech terms everyone should know...even if youre a beginner. User Experience (UX) User Experience deals with the way a person experiences a product, especially in regards to websites or apps. UX is primarily concerned with ease of use and user satisfaction/enjoyment. Sitemap An outline of all the pages on a websiteUI User interface. Every part of a machine that users interact with counts things like displays, screens, keyboards, mouse/touchpads, etc.User research Observation and analysis conducted with the goal of understanding user needs and behaviors.Wireframe Sketch of what a website/web app will look like, includes key components on the site. Workflow Tools Hardware Tools that help increase your productivity and efficiency. Text editor Software used in coding and programming to write plain, unformatted text. Examples Sublime Text, Brackets, TextEdit, TextWrangler, NotepadIDE Integrated development environment. Helps people program more efficiently. Similar to a text editor, but has more features. Examples PyCharm, WebstormRouter A router is the step between a modem and a computer. When information arrives at a modem via broadband, the router deciphers and sends that data to your computer.Virtual machine (VM) A virtual machine is, essentially, software that behaves like hardware it has no physical presence but can run programs like a physical machine. The two types of VMs are system virtual machines (designed to run entire operating systems) and process virtual machines (designed to run only one program). Virtual Private Network (VPN) VPNs provide an additional layer of security to networks. They can be used for public or private networks, but are most co mmon in corporations that want to protect data.Version control Version control is a system that tracks changes to a file or set of files over time. It allows you to recall specific versions later if certain changes fail to work, saving you the trouble of undoing all the steps.Task manager Applications that make it possible to automate repetitive but necessary tasks, streamlining your work process. Examples Grunt, Gulp Front-end Development Also known as the client side, because its what users/clients will see on their computers. The front end of a website or app involves the display/design coded into it. HTML Hypertext Markup Language. The face of the internet. All websites have HTML. Web browsers read HTML files and convert them into the website you ultimately see.CSS Cascading Style Sheets. If HTML is the face, CSS is the makeup. It allows you to choose styles and add variety.JavaScript Runs in the client (one of the few programming languages that do). fruchtwein popular lang uage in web development. Now used on the back end, too. Back-end Development Often called server side, the back end is what happens behind the scenes to make a website or app run- the front end is the face, and the back end is the brain. Includes servers and databases. API Application Programming Interface. Used in software development to provide a set of rules and building blocks for a program.Database Collection of a web apps data.DevOps Software development method designed to help teams communicate and work together better. Unites developers with other IT workers with the end goal of increased production and efficiency.Framework Full term is web application framework. These trim the time that it takes to build a website/app by providing pre-coded templates and libraries, so you have a base to build on. Web server The primary purpose of a web server is to store content and deliver it to clients. It can be hardware (a web-accessible computer) or software (a program that detects and responds to server requests). Conclusion 19 tech terms down, only a couple hundred (or thousands) to go. Take it slow, dont get overwhelmed, and youll have them mastered in no time.