Life Integration This School Year

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Are You Ready for September Tips for Work/Life Integration This School Year We all know its coming - the dreaded back-to-school crunch - but every year we seem to be caught off guard. Plus, as we struggle to prep for a new school year, work projects on hold for the summer suddenly go into overdrive as fourth quarter/year-end is just around the corner. It’s a double whammy and a recipe for disaster unless moms and dads, and employers, make a proactive plan to beat the crunch. Here are some doable tips to helpmoms and dads tackle the back-to-school/back-to-work tangle as part of asimple weekly work+life fit practice like the one outlined in Cali Yosts book Tweak It: Make What Matters to You Happen Every Day. First, identify, breakdown and plan the back-to-school activities typically encountered every year: Add 2013-2014 school dates into your calendar, including extra-curricular sport and activities Buy school supplies early, before the line is out the door and the shelves are picked clean Take advantage of back-to-school sales to buy a couple of basic needs but count on shorts and t-shirts for the first few weeks Next, think about projects and responsibilities at work that will require attention after Labor Day: Ask if there is anything you and the team could do to prepare and get a jump start now Share dates you may need to take off or have additional flexibility around back-to-school, such as first day(s) of drop off and pick up Leave the evenings and weekends the week before and two weeks after the start of school as free and uncommitted as possible. If you have to schedule out of town travel or evening work activities, make sure you coordinate with your partner or friends for child care coverage well in advance.

A Few Things I Learned From my First Real Job

A Few Things I Learned From my First Real Job What did you learn from YOUR first job? Follow The Home Depot Careers on Twitter @homedepotcareer  and use the hashtag #FirstRealJob for a chance to win to a $100 Home Depot gift card. Enter to win here.  Leave a comment on this post for the chance to win a $50 Home Depot gift card! As I run errands around the city lately, Im reminded that its August: the month that recent college grads will invade cities everywhere and start their first chapter of life after college. Theyre everywhere: in my building, clogging side walks as they look at their iPhone maps, holding up my morning commute as they figure out how to use their CTA card, and trying to play it cool as their parents move them in and park in my parking spot. Im both envious and grateful as I watch a new group of people dive into this new chapter of their lives: shiny new jobs, crappy little apartments and big dreams. It wasnt that long ago that I was in this chapter.  The year was 2006 and instead of joining the ranks of my peers who moved straight to a charming Lincoln Park brownstone or a seemingly luxe high rise in downtown Chicago, I headed straight to my parents house in the suburbs. Nope, no Facebook broadcasting of bottle service and the good life for me. Two weeks later I started my new job selling sub-prime mortgages.  For those who dont know, sub-prime mortgages were a huge  trend at that time and they were also a huge factor in the fallout of the economy in 2008.  We could lend lots of money to what seemed like anyone. Bad credit? No income documentation? No equity? No problem!  We can get you the 14% mortgage of your dreams even though you cant afford it and charge you points in the process. I truly dont think I realized what I was signing up for when I accepted this job offer. I was just so excited to HAVE a job.  While I was sold on the top-notch training, the opportunity for big bonuses and a fast-track to management, I look back on that job and view my role as that of an unethical telemarketer no Finance degree required. I also view my first job as one of my most valuable career experiences to date. I was only at that job for about 7 months before I moved on to a higher paying (higher ethics!) job in the city, yet I think about that job ALL the time.  The lessons I learned in my first (post-college) job are with me every day. Here are some life lessons I took from my first real job: My first manager told us to tape this reminder to our computers: if you arent getting the results you want, look at your attitude first. Understand that your academic experience may not correlate to your job. This is OK. You didnt waste your time or money, get over that guilt and learn something new. Just start somewhere. Youll be shocked at the people you meet and the opportunities you find when your ego isnt getting in the way. You dont have to stay in your first job for an entire year if you are miserable. Have another job lined up before you jump ship though. Your first job isnt about the title or paycheck. Its about time management, playing nice with others and accountability. Consider spending the money on a legit resume writing service. Most professors, friends or college career centers are severely lacking when it comes to putting together awesome resumes. As much as you love them, their help will only get you so far. Its tempting to try and plan your entire life out, but dont over-plan right after college. The magic is in the unknown. Getting used to the combination of the mundane and the exhilarating is an important first step in your career. Not every day will be a sunny day, and not every day will be a productive day. Its OK, keep looking forward. How you treat others at work will follow you for years to come. Choose your actions carefully: your paths will likely cross again. Get used to not receiving constant feedback.  You know more than you think. Speak up. Your ideas are valid and your responses are expected. Staying too quiet can mean many missed opportunities and less respect from your co-workers. Start contributing to your 401k NOW! I know you dont think you can afford it. But the truth is, your financial life will only grow more and more complicated. Contribute now while things are simple. Learn from those you admire and those you dislike. Study them both in detail so you understand them and move forward accordingly. Look for the lesson in every experience. There is always a lesson. If you feel like you are too good for a job, think again. Pause before you respond to client emails. I always felt the need to respond immediately, and then things would change and my answers would be wrong. Communicate with your manager in a way that works for both of you. This could mean establishing check-ins, ccing them on your client emails or updating a status doc. Every manager is different, respect his or her style. If youre someone who is in chapter one of life after college, I urge you to pay attention to the little things that will eventually become big things. Most of you will not love your first job. This is normal and OK.  Get a job. Start your career story. Do the best job you can while you are there and keep moving. What #FirstRealJob tips and stories do YOU have?  Share them in the comments below and Ill pick one winner who will get a  $50 Home Depot gift card (yes, you can still register to win the $100 gift card here  too!).  Tweet your thoughts to  @MsCareerGirl and  @homedepotcareer  using hashtag #FirstRealJob to continue the conversation. The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in their monthly blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation in the form of a Home Depot gift card. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

10 Signs Youre a Bad Boss

10 Signs Youre a Bad Boss Were only human and we all have our imperfections so Im not saying that any boss is perfect BUT  there are those bad bosses who go beyond the odd mishap and seem to have a collective of personality traits that can leave you feeling (to say the least), miffed! If you are working for a boss  and find yourself nodding along as you read this list, you officially have a bad boss! A boss yourself? These are the 10 tell-tale signs that YOU are a horrible boss: 1. You ask your employees  to do a task at the end of the day If youre guilty of letting it get to home time, just as your employee has picked up their  coat (ready to leave for the evening) before you hail them  down by asking them to do a last-minute task (which could most definitely wait until tomorrow) then guess what, youre going to be getting on your employees nerves. 2. You have unrealistic expectations of  unpaid overtime Expecting employees to be in 30 minutes early every day so that you can get more done without paying someone? Not really what your employees signed up for in their contract. Presenteeism over productivity is way outdated anyway. If your employee has things to do then theyll come into the office to get them done thats their decision, not something that should be  expected! Being made to feel like they owe additional time or feeling bad for leaving on time is not cool! 3. Then  complain if your employees are 1 minute late Those late  work nights and early mornings  without getting paid overtime, but yeah, that 1 minute in the morning seems to have made all the difference this morning as your employee gets a passive aggressive treatment. The effect?  Note to self: leave tonight on the dot! 4. Youre guilty of general incessant clock watching Some toxic managers are clock watchers, this starts with taking note of the time you arrive in the morning and leave in the evening, and can also include nitpicking about the length or time of work breaks. If you’re an employee putting in an honest day’s work and your productivity is good your manager shouldn’t be bringing up 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there. Even worse if, as a manager, you are directly referring to other employees who stay in the office later than an employee. If they need longer to do the same job, fine (personally I would argue that the person who is able to  complete their work in less time is just more capable/better at time management). Taking a 20 minute uninterrupted break if you work more than 4.5 hours is also a legal requirement. If youre a bad boss that is making your employees feel awkward about breaks you should know that if your employees dont take time away from their  desk they  will probably have concentration dips and it will have a detrimental effect on  productivity. 5. Youre secretly lazy When your employees can see you browsing the internet or engaging in your WhatsApp group you may think that you appear to have  mastered delegation, youre wrong. Handing out every task which comes in  as you sit procrastinating doesnt go unnoticed. 6. You passive-aggressively ignore your staff One of the most unnerving, tell-tale signs of a terrible boss is one who rarely lets you know where you stand. If they also lack attentiveness its also a problem it massively zaps motivation. Avoid shunning questions and please ask them how their day is going at least once a day if you can. 7. You create new KPIs which suddenly flop If you want to really irritate your employees and leave them feeling demotivated sporadically implement ridiculous and random targets which dont seem to materialise into anything. They usually  phase out after a couple of weeks  and just get in the way of their long list of things to do. 8. You relish  in hindsight After youve done something wrong theres little out there which can wind you up more than being told how someone else  would have done it differently! So when things dont go to plan please dont reply with a told you so attitude especially if, when  asked for your input you said  you were too busy to get involved. (Obviously constructive criticism is always welcome.) 9. You make it clear that you have office favourites Now this doesnt even have to be the best office worker, if you really want to annoy an employee make sure you actually aim your favouritism towards someone whos actually mediocre but an obvious suck-up. 10. You overpromise  and underdeliver Im sure weve all been there think back to the interview when you asked about the smaller details of the role and you were promised the world. 6 months down the line and that realistic OTE isnt even possible and as for that work-life balance, what work-life balance? Nodding along? Have you ever experienced these bad boss traits and wondering how to deal with them? check out 11 ways to deal with a difficult boss. Maybe youre personally guilty of one or more of these bad boss traits? All is not lost take a bit of self-reflection and ask your employees for some honest feedback. Its not a well-kept secret that employee well-being is directly linked to employee loyalty and productivity. If youre a company that  doesnt look after your staff, they will end up resenting you, their work will suffer and they will end up being tempted away by a company who promises to look after them.

Free Professional CV Template - Honeycomb Photo

Free Professional CV Template - Honeycomb Photo Free Professional CV Template Honeycomb Photo Some jobs are all about you. If you work in direct sales, public relations, as an executive, or in other positions where you are the ‘face’ of your company, you must show that you have a friendly and professional appearance. Our Honeycomb resume template is perfect for this. It frames your professionally taken headshot in a unique, eye-catching frame. One look is all it will take to convince hiring managers to read your resume further. This is a beautiful template all around. In addition to the great framing, it uses taupe shades to really add an element of class and sophistication. You can make this template your own when you add your photo, work experience, education, and personal bio. Don’t forget the graphic to truly represent your skills and abilities.As always, our templates are free. We truly mean there are no strings attached. The only thing that you need to do is click the button below. Your download will begin shortly. File size: 53 KB Format: .doc Downloaded 7,250 times License: Free, personal use only. Please read the license terms for resources. Download previous article Simple CV Template for Free Shades of Black next article Charcoal Black â€" A Dark Themed Resume for Free you might also likeCadmium Yellow: Simple, Yet Elegant Resume Template

6 Things to Include in Your Offer Letter

6 Things to Include in Your Offer Letter No one will deny that offer letters are an important component of the hiring process. If it’s your first time hiring or you just want to brush up on best practices, this article should help you do just that.After you’ve spent tons of time finding candidates, interviewing them and negotiating the position with them, the last thing you want is to send a bad offer letter and have to start the process over again. Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comThankfully, below are 6 things you need to include or address in your offer letter so that the candidate fully understands your offer and hopefully accepts!1. SalaryevalThis seems obvious but it should be stated clearly in the offer letter and if it’s a salaried position, stated in terms of annual salary.If it’s an hourly position, state the wage per hour.Also, include how and when the salary will be paid. Will they be paid monthly, biweekly or weekly?Finally, you should also mention if the salary will be paid in cash, check or by direct deposi t.All of this information will allow the candidate to fully understand how much they will be paid and how they will be paid which is a key consideration for most applicants.2. BenefitsJust like salary, all benefits should be clearly stated in the offer letter.Does the position include medical and dental benefits? Does your company have a 401K matching program? Does the candidate get to use a company car?evalAll of these are important considerations and can make the difference between a candidate accepting or declining a job offer.If you forget to include some of the benefits, you risk having the candidate turn you down for a more compelling job offer.3. Vacation and Sick DaysMany candidates like to know exactly how much sick time and vacation leave they have in a year.Making this explicitly clear will help the candidate make a better decision and prevent miscommunication and dissatisfaction down the line.4. Starting DateevalIncluding when the employee will start seems obvious but is also easily overlooked.If an employer you’re looking for the candidate to start next week and the candidate is looking to start in four months, there could be a real issue.Avoid this by clearly stating the start date in the offer letter.5. Title of the PositionThe title of the position is important.A title displays an employee’s rank in an organization and allows them to further their career.As a result, don’t use general terms like “we’re please to offer you a position with our company.”Make it clear exactly what the candidate’s title will be within the organization.6. InstructionsYou should include instructions on how an employee can accept the offer letter.Making it easy and fast for a candidate to accept makes it more likely they will.evalExplain where to sign the offer letter and where to send it once accepted.Next StepsThese six things to include will help you write a compelling offer letter that provides all the basic information a candidate needs to make their decision.But remember, an offer letter is simply an offer and you should be prepared for the candidate to come back with questions or to negotiate further which is usually a sign that a candidate is interested and serious about the position.We hope this article helps you write a more compelling offer letter, good luck hiring!

How to make your case to negotiate a pay rise - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

How to make your case to negotiate a pay rise We have all thought about getting a pay rise havent we? We all want more and often we deserve more but it takes a really well-planned strategy sometimes to make it happen. Learning the art of salary negotiation is a key skill that will help you throughout your career. Its also a sensitive subject which many of us do not feel confident enough to bring up which is why weve created two eBooks to help you learn more about it: Up Your Game, Up Your Pay! and also Get Paid Right, From the Start. One key part of a good salary negotiation is the need to build a case and then present it with confidence The human resource in an organisation is a very, very valuable resource. You have to look at yourself in these terms when entering a pay rise negotiation process. Look at yourself as a return on investment. If the employer was to invest in you by paying you more, what return would you be able to give them? You need to be as objective and as unemotional as you can be when considering your value. You need to be very clear on what it is you’re contributing to the companyâ€"and will contribute in the future. Come with good evidence about what it is that you have done. You’ll also require even better evidence around the reasons why you deserve more and what it is that you’re doing relative to other people. If you cannot make it evidence-based in an objective way, why should anybody look at your case objectively and believe you? When building your business case, it’s also important to be aware of what your organisation already thinks of you. It’s not always easy to find out. Go to people within the company who know you, but aren’t friends who are going to give you the censored version and tell you what they think you want to hear because they’re scared of losing some sort of emotional tie to you. You want to go to people who are mature and objective. It might be a client or somebody in the supply chain or someone in an adjoining department who you interact with quite regularly. You are seeking the kind of objectivity that will help you build an accurate picture of what the employer thinks of you. Talk to a mentor or someone with a status that dictates that they sit in a forum where these types of things are regularly discussed. They’ll be able to tell you whether or not it sounds like you’re doing well and why you’re viewed in a certain way. It’s useful to confide in people about the construction of your business case, but it’s key to choose people you can trust if you’re going to confide in them. They are people in your career who have meant something to you and given you meaningful and valuable support at various times in your working life. Nurture your relationships with these individuals, whether they’re inside or outside your current organisation. Try to avoid picking anyone in a HR capacity within your present company, because they’d have to be really circumspect in what they say to you. So in order to create a convincing business case, you have to be clear about your objectives and you have to be clear on where you are relative to what’s going on in the company. Understand where you are in relation to your colleagues in similar roles and look very closely at the contribution you have been making and seek to make. You can never underestimate the importance of understanding your value in terms of your career, because if you don’t understand it, you will not be able to trade it. Nisa Chitakasem and Simon North, founded  Position Ignition  to help and inspire individuals in their mid and their late career. Whilst they specialise in career change, and in supporting people through major career transitions, their focus is on guiding individuals to shape and build their lifestyles for a future that they want; through making the right career decisions. To find out more, please visit:  http://www.positionignition.com/

How to Add Accomplishments to Your Resume - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

How to Add Accomplishments to Your Resume - Career Advice Blog for Millennials No matter where you want to work, employers want to know only one thing: What can you do for them? Or, more accurately, what can you do for them that a hundred other candidates cant? One way to answer that is through your accomplishments. Unlike duties and responsibilities, which tell employers what you did, accomplishments show them how you did your job, and whether you did it well. To grab an employers attention the moment they read your accomplishments section, here’s what you’ve got to do. 1. Jot Down Your Work-Related Accomplishments List all of your accomplishments to begin the process of adding them to your resume. Write down everything â€" it can be as small as publishing your first blog post, or as big as singlehandedly getting the servers back up after the system went haywire. Dont worry about censoring yourself at this point. Whats important is to get it all down, so you wont have to rack your brain every time you have to tailor a resume for an employer. Also, youll have a clearer picture of your strengths and weaknesses, know where you stand between point A and B, and see how awesome you truly are. 2. Pick the Ones That Suit the Job You Want Based on the first list, make another list of your best accomplishments. Then, choose the ones that are relevant to the job youre gunning for. For example, if youre a blogger who wants to become a social media specialist, you can highlight your publications with the strongest writing and that attracted the largest amount of traffic. In case youre not sure about which accomplishments fit the bill, review the job description again, and match your achievements with the requirements. 3. Start With Strong Action Words Instead of handled, managed and other words that dont tell hiring managers anything beyond your job description, use more powerful verbs. Show employers the specifics of what youve done through words, such as: Organized Established Consolidated Improved Revamped Mobilized Negotiated Resolved Analyzed Documented Monitored Outperformed When you choose the right words, employers are more likely to choose you as the right candidate, too. 4. Bring Out the Facts and Numbers Of course, employers need verifiable proof that youre not fabricating your accomplishments. If you say youve improved website traffic, theyll naturally follow up with questions like By how much? Keep those questions in mind when you rewrite your accomplishments, so youll write something stronger like Boosted website traffic by 400 percent. 5. Put Your Accomplishments in Context Aside from what you accomplished, employers will also want to know how you achieved what you did. What tools did you use to boost website traffic? Over what period did the boost in traffic happen? How did your achievement help the company? Going back to the previous example, you can now rewrite it as Boosted website traffic by 400 percent within one month, leading to a commensurate rise in total company sales of 200 percent. Looks much more impressive now, doesnt it? 6. Use Your Potential Employers Language You dont have to stick with boring business jargon. If the employer uses playful language in their job ad, feel free to do the same. For example, if the ad states that Anyone without a sense of humor need not apply, respond with Lifted team morale and productivity by providing a daily supply of side-splitting jokes in your accomplishments section. Not sure if what youre about to write is appropriate? Feel free to use a clear, clean and concise writing style instead. You can always let your achievements speak for now, and figure out whether youre a cultural fit for the company later. 7. Dont Forget Accomplishments Outside of Work What if your job doesnt leave much wiggle room for accomplishments? What if your job is the type where achievements cant be easily quantified? What if youre more passionate about what you do outside the office than within? Thats where your non-work achievements come in. While they might not seem relevant to your dream job at first glance, its possible you learned something from those achievements nonetheless. Being a social worker, for example, can teach you skills transferable to jobs like customer service. Its okay to include accomplishments from personal, academic and volunteer work, as long as you emphasize how they make you the best candidate for the position youre applying for. 8. Edit Ruthlessly Once youve written and rewritten your accomplishments, run them through this checklist: Do your accomplishments simply rephrase your job description, or do they go above and beyond it? Do your accomplishments meet the employers qualifications, and more? Are your accomplishments unique to you? Or can anyone else in your position do them? Do your accomplishments show what youve done differently from, and better than, your predecessor? Did you use vigorous words to outline your achievements? Did you use facts to back up your claims? If asked about those claims in an interview, can you prove them without batting an eyelash? Did you list your accomplishments from most important to least? Although it makes sense to arrange them chronologically 95 percent of the time, youll make things easier for a busy recruiter if the achievement you want them to notice is at the top. Did you include only the accomplishments relevant to the position? What can you delete that would keep the list short enough not to bore a recruiter, but long enough to impress? Is the accomplishments section, as well as the rest of your resume, free from spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors? If youre still having doubts about your resume, run it through a friend â€" preferably someone who specializes in human resources or owns a business. Your friend might notice things you havent yet considered.   A Few More Tips When it comes to accomplishments, and resumes in general, the most important thing is to show why youre the best fit for the job. Think like an employer, re-read your resume like an employer, and ask yourself: Given these accomplishments, will this person be able to go above and beyond average for the job I have in mind? If these tips helped you gain a yes for that question, let us know in the comments â€" and don’t forget to share it with your friends and fellow job searchers. While you’re at it, get more job search tips by subscribing to the Punched Clocks newsletter.