Monday, December 30, 2019

What Not to Do When Youre Applying for Jobs

What Not to Do When Youre Applying for JobsWhat Not to Do When Youre Applying for JobsThere are many things you should do when youapply for a job, but theres an equally long lists of donts. Thats because some actions and behaviors can really hinder your job hunt and are best avoided. From oversharing the details of your job search to making a typo in a cover letter, heres what not to do when you apply for a job. Submit a Job Application, Resume or Cover Letter with TyposCheck your resume, cover letter, and every single email you send for grammar and spelling - even if its just a quick email, LinkedIn katechese, or Facebook message to a networking contact. If you submit a job application with a typo, it can knock you out of contention for a job. This means writing in full sentences, andchecking spelling and grammar. Always, always triple-check the spelling of company and contacts names, too - those mistakes are particularly eye-catching. Dont Know Your Employment HistoryWhen you ap ply for jobs, whether its online or in-person, employers expect you to know your employment history, including dates of employment, job titles, and company information for each job youve held. What can you do when you dont remember your exact dates of employment? Heres how you can compile yourpersonal employment historywhen youre missing all the details. Tell Everyone Youre Job SearchingIt can be a good idea to tell everyone you know youre job searching - if youre unemployed. If you have a job and you want to keep it, be very careful who you tell that youre job searching. Also, make sure that youre using tools tokeep your job search confidential. You dont want your boss to hear youre looking and possible jeopardize the job you currently hold. Take Advantage of Your ConnectionsIts appropriate touse your connectionsto help you get a job. However, its not appropriate to try to bypass thehiring processin order to try to get hired. Use your connections carefully and make sure they are a dvocating for your candidacy in a professional manner. Dress InappropriatelyDont wear jeans or shorts, tank tops, crop tops or anything too low cut (cleavage is not a good thing when youre job searching) or too short. Make sure youre not showing too much skin i.e. your belly should not be showing. Dont wear spike heels, platforms, flip flops, or your favorite pair of old ratty sneakers. It is always important to be neat, tidy, and well-groomed and to present a positive prestige to the employer. Heres what youshould be wearingto apply for a job. Forget Your ResumeWhen applying for jobs in-person and when vorstellungsgesprching, bringing extra copies of your resume is a good idea. Also, consider bringing your transcript as well if youre interviewing for an academic-related position. Keep Your Phone OnFilling out a job application or an interview isnt a place to sneak in a few texts. If your phone is constantly beeping or ringing, it creates a very distracting environment and reflects poorly on you. So, make it a priority to turn your phone on silent and stow it away in your bag or pocket. Walk in with Headphones OnAlthough you might be dying to catch the end of your favorite song, take your headphones out and turn off your music-playing device. Stash both in your purse or briefcase before you walk in to apply for a job or go on a job interview. Bring Food or DrinkPlan ahead and grab a coffee or other beverage or a snack either before or after your interview, because it isnt professional to eat or drink during your interview. Finish (or throw out) your coffee or food before your interview. Also, while you want to have fresh breath during the interview, make sure to spit out your gum or finish your mint before you enter the building. Bring Your Parents or FriendsApplying for jobs or going to a job interview are solo activities. Leave your parents, friends, or significant others at home. If youre applying for a retail job and youre with friends have them wait outsi de the store or elsewhere. The only time this would not apply is if you and your friends were applying at a company that was hiring for several positions. Act UnprofessionallyNo matter how difficult your job search is, make an effort to greet your interviewer kindly, and be active and engaged during theinterview process. Be outgoing and positive, even if you dont feel that way. Dont Be Upfront About When Youre AvailableBe honest with your prospective employer about when its feasible to work. If you cant work evening shifts, for example, dont hedge during the interview. You dont want to end up taking on more hours than you can handle or commit to a schedule that wont work out, inconveniencing both yourself and your employer. Ask for MoneyI cringe when someone tells me theyve asked for a certain salary when they havent even been interviewed yet. Avoid mentioning compensation until you have a job offer or, at least, until the employer brings it up. Even then, be careful as to how youne gotiate salary. Top Job Search MistakesWhat are the worst job search mistakes you can make? Some are major mistakes that can halt your job search before it even gets going. Others are small ones that, given a competitive job market, can be enough to knock you out of contention for a job. Be sure to avoid the top job search mistakes, so youre in the best position to effectively job search.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

5 Reasons to Have a Professional Facebook Profile

5 Reasons to Have a Professional Facebook Profile5 Reasons to Have a Professional Facebook Profile2After LinkedIn, Facebook is another avenue hiring managers use to do some research on you before an interview. Thats why its a smart idea for everyone to have two Facebook profiles. You can still keep your old personal profile with all your friends and family vacation photos. But your business profile, on the other hand, should be just that, strictly business.Here are five reasons why everyone should have a professional Facebook profile.1. It increases your online presence. With over 1 billion users currently on Facebook, thats a lot of eignung eyeballs who can view your previous work experience and skill set. Creating a professional profile allows you to increase the odds of someone- like a hiring manager- seeing your profile and reaching out for a preliminary interview.2. It separates the professional from the private. The biggest reason to have a second profile is, of course, the pri vacy issue. Lets say you were doing the Harlem Shake at your nieces wedding- and a snap-happy uncle tagged you in the photos on Facebook. You dont want potential employers to spot the photos. Having another profile allows you to be tagged in fun family photos without worrying that they might be seen- and misinterpreted.3. You can speak your mind. You have strong opinions and you like to voice them with like-minded friends on Facebook. And you occasionally post fun, silly images as well on your profile. But would you state these opinions or show these funny photos during an interview with a potential boss? Probably not. This way, you can keep speaking your mind- in the safety of your own circle.4. Your info is for a targeted audience. Lets say youve won several awards for your work in your industry. Or you want to let people know about a great new software program that can help workers in your area of expertise. Sharing that knowledge might be a waste among your current FB friends, b ut announcing it on a professional profile makes more sense. It can also show those in your industry that your knowledge is current and that youre in the know.5. It allows you to network.On your professional Facebook profile, you can announce that youre looking for work. Or you can reach out to people across your field to establish connections. They will be more apt to add you as a friend if they see that youre posting solid information and have a friends list that boasts fellow colleagues as well as industry insiders. Thats why your second FB profile will enable you to network more efficiently and professionally.Its easy to create another Facebook profile that will help you promote your knowledge and skills while you search for a job. A second profile can definitely help you in your job search.Readers, do you have two Facebook profilesone professional and the other personal?

Friday, December 20, 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 run 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 hel p 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 common in corporations that want to protect data.Version control Version control is a system that tracks changes to a file or platzdeckchen 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). Most 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.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Silence Is Golden When It Comes to Rejection

Silence Is Golden When It Comes to Rejection Silence Is Golden When It Comes to Rejection Writing at FindLaw.com, Attorney Aditi Mukherji says human resources people should notlage follow up on the issue of rejection because correspondence on the issue thats not written well could be the basis for legal action. He says, One simple solution for business owners Just dont send rejection letters at all as many firms are doing, according to U.S. News.That article says, The decrease in employer response to job applicants may be a natural consequence of the faceless online applicant tracking system, but also the result of a greater fear. With todays recession bringing more employment lawsuits, your companys applicant rejection letters could be very costly if written in a way that could spark legal action, warns George Lenard, the originator of Georges Employment Blawg.Mukherji offers five tips if people absolutely feel like they want to send rejection letters. In his advice he cites the s tory of a Cleveland headhunter named Kelly Blazek who attained notoriety after berating a recent graduate for wanting to link up on LinkedIn.Be succinct. Mukherji writes that a succinct approach could prevent future legal troubles and dont spend time lambasting an applicant.Dont be specific about why he or she didnt get the job. He advises, Keep it general. Lawsuits may be prompted by perceptions that the reasons offered were a pretext for something more legally dubious such as unlawful discrimination.Dont mention the experience and qualifications of other candidates. If a lawyer pursues legal action against your company, you could be forced to prove why other candidates were better qualified and face repercussions if they are not judged so by legal standards.Dont make empty promises. Mukherji says, You could be vulnerable to legal consequences if you lose or misplace the resume. The same might happen if you give the impression the applicant is qualified for a future opening, only to hand him or her a string of rejections.Show respect. One of the best ways to avoid legal action is to treat people like, you guessed it, people. Dont underestimate the value of being respectful, even on the faceless Internet, Mukherki writes.Of course, there are those who feel all applicants should get told why they were not hired after an interview (or series of interviews). Susan Heathfield, who writes about human resources for About.com, says, How you treat candidates for your jobs really matters. Sending a candidate rejection letter to the applicants who were not selected for the job is an extra, but positive step, your company can take to build good will with candidates and establish yourself as an employer of choice.As Heathfield and other experts say its all about building your companys brand. Even a rejected job seeker can have a positive feeling about your firm and share that impression with others if the rejection is handled well. Your reputation, built one candidate at a time, is critical to your ongoing ability to attract the best and most skilled talent to your firm. Candidates make decisions about your company based on their treatment and officially notifying them about your employment decisions is a point in your favor, writes Heathfield.Of course, those rejections do need to be balanced against the legal concerns. So, it all boils down to this write nicely worded, positive rejection letters but realize if you slip up, you could still get sued. In the words of one great wit, No good deed goes unpunished.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Should You Go for That Advanced Degree

Should You Go for That Advanced DegreeShould You Go for That Advanced DegreeRemember when we were young and impressionable with mothers and fathers who dreamed of having a house full of doctors, lawyers, and other professionals they called children? While were pretty sure half the inspiration behind those dreams was the ability to get free medical or legal advice via their progeny, its a fact of life that higher education in America has a certain appeal that garners instant respect. Whether flirting with someone at a bar, or networking during social events, the simple statement that youre a doctor, have a masters, or even are working on your Ph.D. puts you into a nearly mystical social circle reserved for those who are smart enough to figure out the encrypted password.The reality of advanced degrees, however, is that modern higher education has become more accessible and those extra letters behind your name arent are tough to obtain as they may have once been. Sure, youll need to sh ell out some extra tuition money and probably spend a few extra years in a classroom or interning, but gone are the days when an advanced education was attainable only to a few.As the saying goes, however, just because you can do something, doesnt mean you should. While the idea of obtaining a post-graduate degree may awaken the inner child seeking approval from their parents, there are real-world costs and implications of devoting resources to graduate school. Here we delve into the pros and cons of more education and offer advice and anecdotes to help assess whether you should go for that advanced degree or whether your time, money and energy are best suited for other pursuits.elendlage All Degrees are Created EqualStarting with the simplest consideration first before running straight from your bachelors program into a masters, doctorate, or other graduate program, candidates should take some time to evaluate their focus of study. While some advanced degrees allow you to qualify f or niche professions, others may be more akin to icing on the education cake. Sure, everyone loves to go straight for the whipped cream cheese and sugar topping, but there isnt a lot of substance there.Postgraduate degrees in generic fields such as English, history, math, or philosophy arent going to qualify you for many professions outright. These types of educational pursuits can be rewarding, but they often arent necessary to attain a job or build a career in a specific field. In short, before setting out back to school for 3+ additional years, evaluate your area of study and do some research into which positions require that specific certification.Potential Upside for Your Chosen CareerThis brings us to the next consideration when it comes to choosing to pursue more education. Before you sign on the dotted line for that student loan, work up the numbers to determine what will be the benefit on your short and long term career. For some professions, this analysis will be fairly si mple. If you aim to score a position as a doctor, youll need medical school, a Ph.D., and residency in order to make it happen. Similarly, lawyers require a JD in order to sit for the bar exam in fruchtwein states. For some professions, such as finance or banking, advanced education in the form of a business school degree may give you a leg up initially when it comes to title or pay but might not make a difference long term when compared to hard work and on the job education.As with any important decision, before you set off on the postgraduate school path, evaluate your potential upsides and whether that degree is needed or if there may be another, less traveled route, that will see you get to the same career destination.What Will it CostWeve all seen the news reports and studies when it comes to education costs over the last several years. To put it plainly, college and postgraduate schools are expensive and the overall financial impact of attaining any type of higher education co ntinues to rise. The average young person with a post graduate degree will enter the workforce with over $100,000 of student loan debt. Thats a staggering number for someone looking to abflug of their life and career with dreams of a home, family, and a dog named spot.Before making the decision to go for that advanced degree, put together the real world costs of attending an additional three or four years of school. While tuition will make up the bulk of your calculations, other items will also contribute to your potential debt load. Many graduate schools ask students to pledge that they will focus on their studies and not hold outside jobs during the school year. Summer months will often be spent in unpaid or low paid internships which are important in helping to secure post-graduation employment. Costs for housing, food, health insurance, and transportation will all need to be factored into the overall price of your advanced degree and should be used to help balance the overall co sts versus return of additional education.Make a Conscious ChoicePerhaps the best piece of advice we can leave with you when it comes to whether you should add a few more letters to your title is to be an active and conscious participant in the choice to stay in school. In times of economic downturn when employment prospects look bleak, young graduates often choose to stay in school in order to defer payments on student loans or simply because they believe they lack additional options. With the kind of monetary and personal investment that goes into headed back to school, its important to do so with eyes wide open. Use the factors weve laid out above to help decide whether that masters really is a great idea for your personal and professional goals. Whichever route you decide, your parents will still be proud of their successful, smart, child. And, hey, as a plus, if you decide not to grab your Ph.D. and become a doctor, after all, you can rest comfortably knowing you wont be asked at the next family get together to examine that bunion on your aunt Ednas big toe.

Friday, December 6, 2019

A Guide to What to Put on a Resume for Skills

A Guide to What to Put on a Resume for Skills The One Thing to Do for What to Put on a Resume for Skills Youll find mora details on various sorts of skills for a resume in the previous section. Your skills section stipulates a window into how much capability youll be able to bring to the firm. The skills section of your resume needs to encompass all your very best qualities and attributes in a brief summary. In truth, it could be appropriate to incorporate a more prominent core competencies section at the peak of your resume with comprehensive descriptions of certain skills if theyre absolutely central to success in the desired position. If you distributionspolitik on your resume that you speak excellent French, whenever your experience is truly confined to 8th grade lessons, you face the danger of interviewing with a person who spent a semester in Paris. Its ideal to be ready Your resume should note your unique work experience in managing scheduling difficulties, preparing t ravel arrangements, and preparing reports. Skills If there are several varieties of skills which are important to the job that youre applying for, you can include multiple skills list in your resume. Some are basic resume computer abilities and others are somewhat more technical. For more information about how to include your skills on a resume, take a look at our extensive guide. Look through the work description and see whether any soft skills are mentioned. An effective communicator is frequently an excellent motivator, which means that you can get other people to do their jobs. Your skills are an overview of what you could do for the possible employer if you were offered the work at this time. Carefully reread the work description and choose which skills are unquestionably essential for the job. You will use your communication skills in each step of the work search and at work. If a work description contains any of the subsequent skills, make certain to add them to yo ur resume. If youre interested in turning in an application for a particular job, review the post carefully and observe the list of skill requirements. You are going to have rough time locating a work description that doesnt include things like communication as a required skill. For instance, if youve got a strong history with genau processing and a work description necessitates experience with a particular processor you havent used, you may use your experience to demonstrate the employer that youve got zero issue working with new word processors. A Secret Weapon for What to Put on a Resume for Skills If you would like to showcase your organization skills, obtaining a tightly structured resume certainly helps. Listing your skills provides a chance to showcase your abilities and experiences to prime employers for the remainder of your resume. Exceptional people skills are an important portion of what makes you such a standout employee whod be an asset to any company that offer s you an opportunity to shine. Even without prior history, its still true that you have the skills, education, and individual qualifications required to create a good case for why youd be a fantastic candidate. Therefore, if you come to an interview, the deficiency of Soft Skills may be one reason you werent chosen for the job. Soft skills are a little more vague and open to interpretation. Technical skills are either something youve got or you dont, but theyre always something which it is possible to learn. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for What to Put on a Resume for Skills You also need to check their social networking pages and take note if theyre frequently citing specific hard and soft skills that are desired by the provider. Listed here are six of the most crucial, listed in the order of importance depending on the outcomes of the survey. Depending on the recommendation of our expert sources, here are a couple of broad types of skills your resume could include, toge ther with unique methods to express them. What Is So Fascinating About What to Put on a Resume for Skills? Hard skills have a tendency to be more technical, and each business or sort of job will often have its personal necessary set. Look out for keywords to spell out your core qualifications, key professional and individual skills. Double-check if youre utilizing the ideal abilities and experience keywords. The Meaning of What to Put on a Resume for Skills After youre done Get rid of all of the skills you simply have a simple grasp of. Key skills are work-related skills that you will need to do a job. As stated earlier, assessing soft skills is a lot more difficult. Identifying desirable important skills is vital. Before you jump into writing down all of the wonderful talents youve got, lets learn a little more about what skills employers typically start looking for on a resume and see whether it is possible to incorporate any in your skills section. Keep in mind, the maj ority of the distinctive skills that you place on your resume needs to be job-related skills taken from the work description and your best transferable skills. There are a few skills which dont necessarily belong on your resume, however awesome youre at them.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Karat, and these 12 other companies, want you to join their team in 2018!

Karat, and these 12 other companies, want you to join their team in 2018 We need gender neutral dress codes in the workplace. If you dont yet agree with that statement, look no farther than a 55-page presentation given to women executives at Ernst Young in a June 2018 training. pThe presentation, which made headlines last month when an offended participant from Forbes/a Employees should dress in business casual attire, which could include casual slacks and skirts, collared shirts, blouses, or sweaters. Inappropriate attire includes sportswear, jeans, and unkempt clothing, among other options. Please exercise good judgment.pFor business formal workplaces, you could use the following Traditional business attire, including dresses, suits, and pantsuits, is required for external meetings with clients or prospects. Employees should use discretion on other occasions and are expected to demonstrate good judgment. pAnd for casual workplaces, which are on the ris e from The Balance/a Dress comfortably for work, but please do not wear anything that could offend your coworkers or make them feel uncomfortable. That includes clothing with profanity, hate speech, or exclusionary language. Your clothing, while casual, should show common sense and professionalism.pNo matter the level of formality your dress code needs to define, make sure youre thinking from the perspective of all employeescurrent as well as futureand creating an environment where they can thrive.p----pstrongWant to share these tips with your company? /strongShow them this handy one-page guide on creating a gender neutral dress code p class=shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image img alt=Gender Neutral Dress Code Guide class=rm-shortcode data-rm-shortcode-id=UGVL4K1574631551 data-rm-shortcode-name=rebelmouse-image data-runner-src=https//assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjEwMDE3Ni9vcmlnaW4uan BnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU3NDc2NjEyMX0.5akget5uOA_9aHMcPUxY1YM_Zn2w2Yhcj7m_HSCqg7I/img.jpg?width=980 id=a14b6 type=lazy-image/ pbr/