Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom The Real Story Behind Stretch Assignments

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom The Real Story Behind Stretch Assignments Stretch opportunities are all the rage in the workplace. But as popular as they are, it’s unclear why some people decide to accept a stretch assignment or role â€" and others step aside. It’s also unclear why women haven’t benefited from stretches as much as men. Selena Rezvani is Be Leaderly’s VP of consulting and research and a recognized speaker on women and leadership. She recently led Be Leaderly’s original research on how both genders decide if they are ready for a stretch, and how they make that decision. The report also explores how employers can create a workplace that supports employees who step out of their comfort zones. Based on a survey of 1,549 U.S.- based professionals, the research uncovered the following: Men (48%) and women (52%) are equally interested in ultimately advancing into senior vice president or C-suite roles. However, the largest portion of women (45%)don’tfeel their employers make it easy to gauge if they are ready for a promotion, while the largest portion of men (40%) think their employers help them know whether they are prepared to advance. Women are less engaged in and passionate (67%) about their jobs than men (77%), another possible explanation for why fewer women take on stretch opportunities. A strong correlation exists between employees who feel engaged and passionate about their work and those who perceive that their employer makes it easy to assess their readiness to advance. In order to apply for a job, both women and men feel that they need to meet, on average, 75% of the qualifications for the role â€" a surprising difference from accepted thinking about gender attitudes toward the qualifications people feel they need to try for a new position. Women may hold back from taking stretches because when assessing how ready they are for a new job, they are less likely than men to overestimate or “round up” their skills, and more likely to underestimate or “round down” what they know or can do. (73% of women disagree that they round up their skills while 60% of men disagree). For both men and women, the top criteria for deciding whether to take a stretch assignment are having the influence to create a positive outcome (40% women/43% men), and getting an assignment that lines up with their career goals (33% women/33% men). Both genders say office politics is the biggest practical challenge to taking a stretch assignment (38% women/33% men), with lack of time a close second (34% women, 31% men). Money matters. Men are 3.5 times more likely than women to cite pay as an important factor in evaluating the appeal of a new assignment, job or level. So what do we make of this? Well, if the workplace is being disrupted by sweeping, large-scale trends, employees must have the opportunity to continually redefine and hone their skills. One way employers can offer that is through stretch assignments that provide intrapreneurial short-term “gig economy” type work with minimal risk and disruption, all within the organization’s dominion. Employees, especially millennials, want to “job-craft” their roles. Offering an internal gig economy â€" or stretch marketplace â€" delivers big.

Battle of the Sexes Whos Net Works - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Battle of the Sexes Whos Net Works - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A recent study by LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 100 million members worldwide, surprisingly revealed that men are savvier online networkers than women. Two things determined “savviness”: the ratio of connections that men have to connections that women have, and the ratio of male members on LinkedIn to female members. Logic would say females LinkedIn also looked at this data by industry. Logic would say that in female-dominated industries, such as cosmetics, women would be the savvier sex when it comes to professional networkingâ€"right? Wrong. Men in the cosmetics industry tended to have larger networks than women. The same was true in male-dominated industries; in the tobacco and ranching industries, women were savvier networkers. Here’s a breakdown by industry: Industry breakdown Top U.S. industries where women are savvier online professional networkers than men Alternative dispute resolution Tobacco Alternative medicine Ranching International trade and development Top U.S. industries where men are savvier online professional networkers than women Medical practice Hospital health care Cosmetics Law enforcement Capital markets LinkedIn’s data analytics teams believes this trend is due to the fact that the minority sex has to network harder than the dominant one to break into these industries. Why are women losing out on the battle of the sexes when it comes to online networking? Nicole Williams, career expert and author of Girl on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success, helped LinkedIn analyze the data and spoke with BNET’s On the Job about it. Here’s some of her insight: While women are great communicators, men are more actively engaged in reaching out. Women also make few but deeper connections. We’re also finding that men are more comfortable with technology, and women may be better at networking in person. On the Job’s Amy Levine-Epstein asked Williams, “So what should women focus on?” Williams shared these tips: Women have to be more proactive in putting themselves out there and asking for what they want from connections. They also have to get more comfortable documenting what they’ve done without worrying about bragging. What else can women do to become savvier online professional networkers? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of Come Recommended, a  content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes  career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

How to fail successfully. Management student Nadya tells us about her experience of job hunting. University of Manchester Careers Blog

How to fail successfully. Management student Nadya tells us about her experience of job hunting. University of Manchester Careers Blog By Nadya Valkova Being out in the job market is not a pleasant thing. In fact, it is perhaps one of the few most terrifying things you can experience as a student because a) you don’t have the experience to be competitive, b) you’re absolutely lost in terms of job titles and roles and what you actually like to do as a career, and . c) there’s the pressure from everywhere to get down on those applications so you can essentially land a job. An everyday experience for people like us! I’m a third year Management student and am currently working on graduate scheme applications. It’s not an easy task, I can tell, being bombarded from everywhere by various employers and it’s certainly even more nerve-wrecking knowing how many people are actually going to apply and what kind of experience they’ll have. That should not put you down though. Especially if you know how to fail. The worst strategy for job hunting! Last academic year I did try to get a summer internship. Experience I believed would be of great value for my future aspirations and after applying to 20+ companies, I was still met by the same email or phone call, beginning with ‘Unfortunately’. I asked myself why?   Then  I realised that I didn’t really care why they hadn’t chosen me. Because I didn’t chose them in the first place. No, I was simply in front of my computer, googling summer internship, knowing a few companies from campus meetings and graduate fairs. However, I wasn’t keen on working for them but rather more into the experience I’d get. Handling rejection Now it’s not easy to cope with rejection coming from a perspective employer, but it is not certainly the end of the world as well. Essentially, what I gained from my failure was far more important than the experience had I gotten the internship. Because I realized that none of the companies I applied for were actually the ones I would like to work for. To be successful in the recruitment process you need to be interested in the companies and  of course, have the right skills. That very same summer I didn’t waste my time but rather managed to improve my qualities and knowledge of the world. Think of it as How to get experience without actually getting experience Use social media: Get on LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr â€" and then actually use these accounts. Do you remember the last article you read? Share it. Two-thirds of the recruiters make decisions based on your online-self so don’t be afraid to share, post and comment. That will only show your genuine interest in the industry you want to work in. Follow the companies online, communicate with them. Social media is about engagement so make sure you use this resource to its fullest. Learn new skills: If you end up like me with no summer internship, do something with your free time. You can learn a new language at the University’s Language Centre or alternatively, do it online â€" there’s a very friendly and engaging platform (www.duolingo.com) that can help you with that. Alternatively, learn to code â€" a top skill for most recruiters. Even if your job does not require you to use computer language, having such a skill will only be of privilege. You can again look for courses around the city you’re based in or go online. I am particularly a fan of www.lynda.com â€" it’s got a great variety of programming languages. Read: Books, articles, papers, blogs. There is no better way to learn about current trends and opinions of leaders in your field of interest than reading about them. (and trust me, most of the interesting and important things I’ve read, related to my area, haven’t been even mentioned by my lecturers) Find a few online resources that genuinely intrigue you and cover interesting aspects of the area you’re keen on. Find blogs of industry experts, comment and share their posts. This relates to #1 Research: Do your research before you start your application know about the job role, know about the industry, and know about the company. Then, ask yourself, ‘Is this what I want to do?’ If the answer is yes, proceed with the application process. If you fall on the other side, keep looking for what will essentially be your dream job. Because even though it’s not nice to receive a rejection, it is certainly worse to work for a company or in an industry that you didn’t want to end up in the first place. Spring insights, internships, graduate schemes, placements â€" it’s not rocket science to be successful at one of these.   For some, it’s extremely easy, whereas for others it might be slightly more complicated. However, these exist to give you one thing â€" experience â€" and you should always make sure you get the most out of it, whether you get a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ keep trying. All Make The Most of Manchester Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted applications Applications and interviews career planning careers Internships job hunting mt story work experience

Delivery Beyond Expectations Brings Exponential Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Delivery Beyond Expectations Brings Exponential Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When you stop to consider being graded in school where an A+ super-ceded all expectations, or a corporate review indicated the same, you smile remembering how it felt. You reflect back as to the difficult road you took to get into that top spot. It was of importance that you get there proving to yourself and the rest of the world you have the ability to get it done. Get it done This same effort is required in all areas of life. But for many, it goes unnoticed given the only reward is self-recognition. This thought translates into mediocre results at best. The problem for business owners and workers who don’t want to put themselves out any longer is they become stagnant hurting their reputation, brand, and future sales. Well-known companies refused to adapt with the times because they believed they had the superior product. At one time they did but time moved on and they went under. Look inward to regard what your inner thoughts are telling you about where you wish to be headed. Pay attention because this one acknowledgment may very well become your life’s work and brand you as someone who found the power within to deliver beyond all expectations. List and abilities Create three lists: Want, Do Not Want, and Maybe’s. Once you have your Want list complete, study each item. List all of the associated learning required. Breaking down the steps entailed for what you do want and prioritizing will make them much easier to attain. The drive to achieve makes you unstoppable. Your determination and breaking through the ceiling of possibility build you a strong brand. When you reach out to people coming up from behind to teach them what worked best, you become the expert. And this is when you begin to experience the exponential results. For example, as a salesperson when I decided I was ready to sell to Fortune 100 companies, I stopped at nothing to figure out how to get it done. However, as a beginning entrepreneur, I struggled with the fact other people in my field had PhD’s or were already well known. My uncertainty prevented success. Only when I recounted my capabilities and regained my determination was I able to power up to achieve my inner desires. It was a long, lonely road. Others tried to discourage me while I did my best to keep a smile on my face and keep on going. Everything changed when the economy fell. I chose a completely new direction â€" to study social media. It quickly became apparent how to attract opportunities and sales using this new vehicle. I began to collaborate by trusting others online. Video technology was implemented next. Adapt, implement and grow Suddenly my world began to change. Others viewed me as the expert in my field as I openly shared what I knew on postings. I developed new programs to teach those coming up behind me so they could experience success more quickly. My brand was almost instantly built while new opportunities offered such as delivering inspirational keynotes at conferences. At this juncture, an ah-ha moment came to next coordinate a Business Retreat in the No CA wine country to sync mind, body, and spirit. The program includes the best of all my programs plus the help of two other experts. Adapting these skills to your portfolio will enable you to further build your brand and obtain exponential results. Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed keynotes for conferences.

5 Job Interviewing Tips For Introverts

5 Job Interviewing Tips For Introverts Your resume is breath-taking, your cover letter is a work of art, and you’re the perfect fit for the position you’re applying for.However, if you’re an introvert, there’s one terrifying hurdle standing between you and a gainful employment: the job interview of course.evalYou aren’t necessarily shy or socially anxious just because you’re an introvert Before you say a single word to the interviewer, you’ve already made an impression based on how you’re dressed.That being said, it’s important to remember that every company has a different dress code, and how you dress at the job may have very little to do with how you dress for the interview.While it’s always recommended to dress nicely for an interview, it doesn’t mean you have to hide behind your style, so don’t be afraid to make it look appealing.For those who wear prescription glasses, match your eyewear to your style. In other words, make sure your glasses and outfit match, and it’s easy for the interviewe r to see your eyes. After all, your eyes are the first thing people see when they look at you.2. Prepare yourself for typical questionsevalDo you need a lot of time to digest and formulate an answer during an interview?For most introverts, being put on the spot and forced to answer questions on the fly can be extremely uncomfortable.Although some interview questions might be a curveball, most are easy to anticipate. So be sure to review a complete list of common interview questions.Stand in front of a mirror and practice your answers. At first, this might make you cringe, but this practice can help you improve your answer.Before the interview, take some notes about key points you’d like to make and questions to ask so you don’t waste energy trying to remember them if you forget.You might even consider putting together a career portfolio, a three-ring binder full of evidence of your key skills and other achievements. That way you have something to lean on.3. Prepare for small tal kSmall talk is light, informal conversation. That being said, it’s pretty normal for introverts to dislike small talk, which admittedly can feel rather pointless. However, even if you hate chatting with supervisors and/or other co-workers, remind yourself that this one time you can’t skip it.When going into an interview, it helps to come up with a couple questions in advance that you can throw in as needed. As a matter of fact, this is also a great opportunity to ask questions that don’t feel so pointless.For instance, rather than talking about the weather outside, ask specific questions related to the job.evalAsk your interviewer, “What does a typical day on the job look like?” Or “What are some things new hires struggle with once they’re hired?”Also, it’s a good idea to remind yourself of the ultimate purpose of this interview small talk: that is, of course, to build a relationship with your interviewer and make he or she like you.Not such a waste of time anymore , right?4. Try to sell your introvert qualitiesBelieve it or not, some of the qualities that introverts have are absolutely essential to having a successful career.Introverts, for example, are typically detailed oriented, creative, thoughtful, and work well both independently and collaboratively. Given time to prepare, introverts can easily shine in meetings and presentations.evalBefore the interview, put together a list of your accomplishments.Consider ways your introversion may have been helpful. Ask yourself, for instance, have you finished a project others abandoned after the launch? Solve a difficult problem after reflecting on it? Quietly mentor fellow co-workers?If the answers “yes,” bring these instances up during your job interview.5. Post-InterviewMany introverts’ applications do a poor job during the post-interview stage. Fearing rejection and not enjoying the added attention and self-promotion, the majority of them just wait for the results without doing a follow-u p call or thank you note to the employer.To improve your results, simply ask the person conducting the interview when will you hear from them. Demonstrate that introvert personality isn’t a problem by calling, writing or emailing your interviewer the day after the estimated contact date; thanking them for the opportunity while pointing out another strength you possess that they need in an applicant.Be positive and genuine in your follow-up, using that person’s name and sincerely thanking them for the interview opportunity, and the career consideration.When the job interview is finally over, you’ll still be tired, but with all this preparation you’ll have a much better chance of getting the call that you’ve been hired.Remember, as an introvert, you have many great abilities. Most introverts, for example, are great listeners and thinks logically about everything they’re involved in.Understanding your powers as an introvert is vital to your success in the work industry.Than ks for the read! Did I miss anything important? What are some other strategies introverts should know going into an interview?Feel free to leave a comment below.

My Interview with OpenColleges - CareerEnlightenment.com

4. Whats the one thing you wish you knew about applying for jobs when you first finished your qualification?Dont bother following your passion. Thats terrible advice that puts way too much pressure on yourself. I was very idealistic. I wanted to work in the green energy field and save the world. And it took lots of failures to realise that it just wasnt for me. I wish I had built up a very specialised set of skills and then marketed myself.I made the mistake of blasting out hundreds of resumes and the two companies that bothered to get back to me were so unimpressed by my actual qualifications, they never called back.It wasnt until someone I knew referred me to a job that I actually landed an interview. And I did well in that interview because I had two hours of sleep after an international flight, and just answered the questions so directly and honestly, they loved it! Who knew? Lesson: Its all about your network.5.  What do you see as the main advantages that vocational training gr aduates have over university graduates?Dont get me wrong. I think theres value in education for its own sake. And Im glad I got a Religious Studies degree (sort of). But most academics dont understand that after you graduate you have to face reality. They often see career issues as beneath them, while they vainly try to recruit you to their graduate courses.Ive been told that most engineering graduates would much prefer to be English majors, but if theyre going to invest so much money into their education, they need to make sure it pays off with a major that will help them get hired.A vocational qualification will simply give you marketable and valuable skills without pretending. Its a much more practical path. And if you want to study philosophy or international relations, then you can listen to iTunes University for free! I admire intellectual curiosity and critical thinking. But do you need to go $100K in debt for it? So good for you for picking a vocational qualification. Youre the smart ones. Really!6.  What advice would you offer on networking using LinkedIn?Start early. Most students I talk to are seniors with five people in their LinkedIn network. This is a huge mistake.The number one way youre going to get hired is through networking. And that takes time. So start your LinkedIn networking as soon as you can, and get up to 500+ connections as soon as you can and by any means necessary.You cant network in LinkedIn until your profile looks good. So use this  tool  to grade your profile and get tips to make it better.7.  What are the top 3 things you should avoid putting on your resume?No idea. I dont use resumes and if you can avoid it (i.e., by using networking), do so. If you have a good LinkedIn profile, use it to network. And if someone asks for your resume, send them the link to your profile or just convert your profile into a resume format.

Can a Resume Writing Service Help Me?

Can a Resume Writing Service Help Me?How can a resume writing service to help me? How can I get the attention of my employer or potential employers, who are searching for some particular people? It's an age-old question that you would ask yourself as you're writing your resume.Resume writing is always considered to be one of the most important jobs of a human being. With a resume, you must convince the person, who is to decide whether you're fit for a job or not. Getting a decent resume can make all the difference, when it comes to securing a job.Job descriptions always have a lot of clauses and restrictions in them. There is nothing more important than getting a job with a right resume. Your resume must include proper information, in order to make it attractive and convincing.The job description might be a bit broad. But if you don't want to waste your time, writing a rough resume, then you can always search for an online resume writing service that can come up with an outstanding r esume that you can include in your application. This is actually one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get the attention of prospective employers.There are numerous professional resume writers who help in writing job descriptions for different companies. They have experience in getting the attention of employers and passing their requirements. Their resumes should include details about the experience, knowledge, skills, strengths and interests, etc.When you know these, it would be easy for you to write a professional looking resume that is filled with all the required information for potential employers. The service writers can come up with professional looking resumes, which can easily impress a potential employer. They will also help you in preparing a cover letter that is appropriate for the job that you're applying for.If you want to know about the best resume writing service, then go online and find out a reliable and dependable one. There are many people, who claim to write excellent resumes, but they don't really work. It's always better to do the research first, before you hire any service writer.Searching for a great resume writer will definitely give you a lot of good results. You can surely be assured that you'll get the attention that you deserve.