How to get value out of job boards and posted jobs (and JibberJobber email alerts)

How to get value out of job boards and posted jobs (and JibberJobber email alerts) Yesterday I blogged about the new Email Alerts feature in JibberJobber, powered by ZipRecruiter. You probably know Im not a huge fan of job boards.  This stems from my personal experience of not understanding the value of job boards, and spending way too much time with the wrong tactics, wasting job days away on job boards.  After all, as Nick Corcodilos said, Monster was only responsible for filling 1.3% of jobs filled.  I know Ive said that before, but it is such a profound statistic! So, what do you do with job boards, jobs you find posted, and the new JibberJobber Email Alerts? Gather Intelligence Each job posting is a piece of the puzzle.  It might be that elusive center piece that looks like 200 other pieces, or it might be the telling corner piece that helps you make real progress on the puzzle. From a job posting you might be able to see trends happening in a company or industry.  Can you tell if a company is expanding into a new region or product line?  Can you see if an industry is starting to hire more sales or operations people?  A job seeker has a unique opportunity to better understand the landscape of their industry/profession, and job boards can provide a lot of great intelligence.  If this is a new concept to you, study this Wikipedia post about Competitive Intelligence. Plan your entrance into a company Sometimes job postings have a name and contact information.  This is awesome information.  At the very least I would put that information into JibberJobber now you have a job title and a contact name.  You might have a company name (not always).  Sometimes Ive seen postings that wont say the company name, but the email address of the person you are supposed to contact gives it all away. Do you send your resume and your begging, I mean, cover letter/email, to that person?  Perhaps.  What I would do is take this information (aka, intelligence) and do some research.  What can you find out about the company or the person?  The first place I would go is LinkedIn.  Who else works at the company, what are their titles, who do you know that can introduce you to someone at the company, etc. Essentially, you are looking for ways to network into the company.  While you might have a name and number/email, that might not be the best way to network in.  If 100 (or 1,000) other people are contacting her, you will become just another number, and probably a headache since she doesnt know how to effectively manage the onslaught of communication she is getting. In LinkedIn I would hope to find a hiring manager (or, any manager), and a strong contact who can introduce me.  Id rather have a 15 20 minute informational interview with any manager to learn what I can and perhaps get another introduction than become just another number.  Doesnt that make sense? Prepare for the application and interview Job postings, even though they all seem to be written by someone who doesnt have good written communication skills, have some interesting information that you might learn from.  Look for words and phrases that are new to you.  When I was in my job search I had been out of job search mode for so long that there were phrases and titles that I really didnt know about.  You should open ten to twenty openings with the same title, but from different companies or industries, and see what you can learn.  Put together a list of words and phrases that you might want to use on a resume or cover letter, and in a networking or interview situation.  STUDY THESE WORDS, and know what they mean.  You cant use insider words (aka, jargon) wrong, or it will out you as a rookie!  Study them, learn about them, ask others about them, and then use them. The purpose of this preparation/research is not to help you see trends or find network contacts, like the two above, but it helps you talk more intelligently to people as you network closer to opportunities.  This is a great time for you to come up to speed on things within your role.  Even though you might be expert at it, and surely more expert than the HR person who wrote the job description, you can get an idea of how your role is being talked about by others.  This is important information. Finally, my word of caution: GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! As I share above, you can get a lot of good out of posted jobs, and job boards.  But, please dont spend hours each day doing this. I know its more interesting and fun to do this than to pick up the phone and call someone on your chicken list.  Its easier to spend 3 hours doing this important research than it is to go to that networking club downtown.  But please, please do just enough of this and then turn the computer off and go meet and talk to people. The idea of getting a job by doing research (or heaven forbid applying to jobs) on job boards is kind of like saying you are going to get rich by clipping coupons.  Its not going to happen.  To get rich, you have to make more money than you are spending.  To get a job you have to communicate with human beings. What am I missing?  What other value can you get from jobs posted online? How to get value out of job boards and posted jobs (and JibberJobber email alerts) Yesterday I blogged about the new Email Alerts feature in JibberJobber, powered by ZipRecruiter. You probably know Im not a huge fan of job boards.  This stems from my personal experience of not understanding the value of job boards, and spending way too much time with the wrong tactics, wasting job days away on job boards.  After all, as Nick Corcodilos said, Monster was only responsible for filling 1.3% of jobs filled.  I know Ive said that before, but it is such a profound statistic! So, what do you do with job boards, jobs you find posted, and the new JibberJobber Email Alerts? Gather Intelligence Each job posting is a piece of the puzzle.  It might be that elusive center piece that looks like 200 other pieces, or it might be the telling corner piece that helps you make real progress on the puzzle. From a job posting you might be able to see trends happening in a company or industry.  Can you tell if a company is expanding into a new region or product line?  Can you see if an industry is starting to hire more sales or operations people?  A job seeker has a unique opportunity to better understand the landscape of their industry/profession, and job boards can provide a lot of great intelligence.  If this is a new concept to you, study this Wikipedia post about Competitive Intelligence. Plan your entrance into a company Sometimes job postings have a name and contact information.  This is awesome information.  At the very least I would put that information into JibberJobber now you have a job title and a contact name.  You might have a company name (not always).  Sometimes Ive seen postings that wont say the company name, but the email address of the person you are supposed to contact gives it all away. Do you send your resume and your begging, I mean, cover letter/email, to that person?  Perhaps.  What I would do is take this information (aka, intelligence) and do some research.  What can you find out about the company or the person?  The first place I would go is LinkedIn.  Who else works at the company, what are their titles, who do you know that can introduce you to someone at the company, etc. Essentially, you are looking for ways to network into the company.  While you might have a name and number/email, that might not be the best way to network in.  If 100 (or 1,000) other people are contacting her, you will become just another number, and probably a headache since she doesnt know how to effectively manage the onslaught of communication she is getting. In LinkedIn I would hope to find a hiring manager (or, any manager), and a strong contact who can introduce me.  Id rather have a 15 20 minute informational interview with any manager to learn what I can and perhaps get another introduction than become just another number.  Doesnt that make sense? Prepare for the application and interview Job postings, even though they all seem to be written by someone who doesnt have good written communication skills, have some interesting information that you might learn from.  Look for words and phrases that are new to you.  When I was in my job search I had been out of job search mode for so long that there were phrases and titles that I really didnt know about.  You should open ten to twenty openings with the same title, but from different companies or industries, and see what you can learn.  Put together a list of words and phrases that you might want to use on a resume or cover letter, and in a networking or interview situation.  STUDY THESE WORDS, and know what they mean.  You cant use insider words (aka, jargon) wrong, or it will out you as a rookie!  Study them, learn about them, ask others about them, and then use them. The purpose of this preparation/research is not to help you see trends or find network contacts, like the two above, but it helps you talk more intelligently to people as you network closer to opportunities.  This is a great time for you to come up to speed on things within your role.  Even though you might be expert at it, and surely more expert than the HR person who wrote the job description, you can get an idea of how your role is being talked about by others.  This is important information. Finally, my word of caution: GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! As I share above, you can get a lot of good out of posted jobs, and job boards.  But, please dont spend hours each day doing this. I know its more interesting and fun to do this than to pick up the phone and call someone on your chicken list.  Its easier to spend 3 hours doing this important research than it is to go to that networking club downtown.  But please, please do just enough of this and then turn the computer off and go meet and talk to people. The idea of getting a job by doing research (or heaven forbid applying to jobs) on job boards is kind of like saying you are going to get rich by clipping coupons.  Its not going to happen.  To get rich, you have to make more money than you are spending.  To get a job you have to communicate with human beings. What am I missing?  What other value can you get from jobs posted online? How to get value out of job boards and posted jobs (and JibberJobber email alerts) Yesterday I blogged about the new Email Alerts feature in JibberJobber, powered by ZipRecruiter. You probably know Im not a huge fan of job boards.  This stems from my personal experience of not understanding the value of job boards, and spending way too much time with the wrong tactics, wasting job days away on job boards.  After all, as Nick Corcodilos said, Monster was only responsible for filling 1.3% of jobs filled.  I know Ive said that before, but it is such a profound statistic! So, what do you do with job boards, jobs you find posted, and the new JibberJobber Email Alerts? Gather Intelligence Each job posting is a piece of the puzzle.  It might be that elusive center piece that looks like 200 other pieces, or it might be the telling corner piece that helps you make real progress on the puzzle. From a job posting you might be able to see trends happening in a company or industry.  Can you tell if a company is expanding into a new region or product line?  Can you see if an industry is starting to hire more sales or operations people?  A job seeker has a unique opportunity to better understand the landscape of their industry/profession, and job boards can provide a lot of great intelligence.  If this is a new concept to you, study this Wikipedia post about Competitive Intelligence. Plan your entrance into a company Sometimes job postings have a name and contact information.  This is awesome information.  At the very least I would put that information into JibberJobber now you have a job title and a contact name.  You might have a company name (not always).  Sometimes Ive seen postings that wont say the company name, but the email address of the person you are supposed to contact gives it all away. Do you send your resume and your begging, I mean, cover letter/email, to that person?  Perhaps.  What I would do is take this information (aka, intelligence) and do some research.  What can you find out about the company or the person?  The first place I would go is LinkedIn.  Who else works at the company, what are their titles, who do you know that can introduce you to someone at the company, etc. Essentially, you are looking for ways to network into the company.  While you might have a name and number/email, that might not be the best way to network in.  If 100 (or 1,000) other people are contacting her, you will become just another number, and probably a headache since she doesnt know how to effectively manage the onslaught of communication she is getting. In LinkedIn I would hope to find a hiring manager (or, any manager), and a strong contact who can introduce me.  Id rather have a 15 20 minute informational interview with any manager to learn what I can and perhaps get another introduction than become just another number.  Doesnt that make sense? Prepare for the application and interview Job postings, even though they all seem to be written by someone who doesnt have good written communication skills, have some interesting information that you might learn from.  Look for words and phrases that are new to you.  When I was in my job search I had been out of job search mode for so long that there were phrases and titles that I really didnt know about.  You should open ten to twenty openings with the same title, but from different companies or industries, and see what you can learn.  Put together a list of words and phrases that you might want to use on a resume or cover letter, and in a networking or interview situation.  STUDY THESE WORDS, and know what they mean.  You cant use insider words (aka, jargon) wrong, or it will out you as a rookie!  Study them, learn about them, ask others about them, and then use them. The purpose of this preparation/research is not to help you see trends or find network contacts, like the two above, but it helps you talk more intelligently to people as you network closer to opportunities.  This is a great time for you to come up to speed on things within your role.  Even though you might be expert at it, and surely more expert than the HR person who wrote the job description, you can get an idea of how your role is being talked about by others.  This is important information. Finally, my word of caution: GET AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! As I share above, you can get a lot of good out of posted jobs, and job boards.  But, please dont spend hours each day doing this. I know its more interesting and fun to do this than to pick up the phone and call someone on your chicken list.  Its easier to spend 3 hours doing this important research than it is to go to that networking club downtown.  But please, please do just enough of this and then turn the computer off and go meet and talk to people. The idea of getting a job by doing research (or heaven forbid applying to jobs) on job boards is kind of like saying you are going to get rich by clipping coupons.  Its not going to happen.  To get rich, you have to make more money than you are spending.  To get a job you have to communicate with human beings. What am I missing?  What other value can you get from jobs posted online?

An Important Writing Degree Resume Tip

An Important Writing Degree Resume TipIf you are already working, and are interested in earning a living in this profession, then it is best to earn your writing degree. You might think that it will take too much time and effort for you to be able to do so, but you can get a higher paying job by attending your local college.Regardless of whether you choose to be a journalist, academic writer, or a writer for some other type of business, or if you decide to work as a teacher, you need to have a certain career choice. This will determine how you will apply for the job that you want. Being prepared to write a good resume will help you to get the job you want, and to be successful at it.A writing degree will help you find your calling in the future. A career that you enjoy, and that you enjoy doing, will also help you to make a profit in the future. It is important that you have an interest in your career, and if you have been writing for some time, then it will come more naturally.If yo u are not sure about how to start, you can easily find a writing degree course through your local community college. However, for those who already have a certain career choice, they will need to look for a university that offers courses in that specific field. You should consider looking at what it is that you are already interested in. You can also ask the professors you have in mind about what exactly they will be teaching you, and you can work this into your writing degree resume.Take some time to talk to some people who might be interested in your field. You can either find this information out through people you know, or you can look on the internet for forums that cater to your area. If you do talk to people who work in your field, you can work out ideas for the content of your writing degree resume.An experienced writing degree can help you earn higher pay. Writing can be a highly effective way to pass on information quickly. It is also possible to turn your writing degree i nto a part-time career, while you are still working to make ends meet. It is easy to earn some extra money while you learn more about your career.If you are thinking about applying for a writing degree and what it will involve, remember that most of it will be on paper. Most writing degrees require that you proofread the material before you print them out. This makes sure that they are all done correctly. If you get stuck, then you can send it back to the school, and they will correct it for you.If you already have a career in the writing field, but need to know what to expect in terms of your writing degree resume, then you can easily find online tips to help you out. However, if you have not yet started your career, it might be a good idea to look at the next few paragraphs of this article for some important advice on how to apply for a writing degree.

How Do You Identify Speaking Gigs That Boost Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Do You Identify Speaking Gigs That Boost Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career How do you identify events or speaking gigs that are good for your brand (vs. a waste of time/money)? What factors should you consider? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons. 1. Look at Who the Event Targets Look at who the event is advertising itself to. Are these your customers, colleagues or thought leaders? The people to whom the event is marketed are going to make up the core of your audience. If they do not fit the bill of people you would market yourself to, you should ask where the benefit lies in spending your time and effort in attending or presenting. Peter Minton, Minton Law Group, P.C. 2. Consider Who Else Will Present at the Event When it comes to branding, who you surround yourself with especially on a stage says more than you could about your expertise and skill. Look for events and opportunities to present with top leaders in the industry, thought leaders and up-and-comers. It may be tempting to be the most notable panelist or speaker, but consider the company you keep and if it supports your brand message. Kelly Azevedo, Shes Got Systems 3. Check Out the Audience First For any event that you are considering presenting at, first check out the audience. If there won’t be people in attendance who are potential clients or people who can influence potential clients then it’s not worth your time. Speaking engagements are about extending your brand and leads for your business. The right audience is key to achieving these goals. David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services 4. Identify Your Audience Try to build your network as much as possible, and only go after speaking gigs where your target audience will be in attendance. Get to know some event coordinators in your area and your industry, and start to develop relationships. Avoid last-minute speaking engagements as the organizer may just be desperate to get anyone to speak at his event. Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance 5. Go Where Interaction Is Available to You Just talking at an audience is rarely enough to connect with people they may not even remember your name afterwards, even if you gave a great talk. So, looking for events where you can increase your interaction with your audience is crucial. Whether you can do a workshop with a smaller number of attendees or go to networking events, its worth looking at all the opportunities. Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting 6. Look at All the Benefits I rarely speak for a fee. Instead, I look at all of the possible benefits. Think about the following: Could potential clients be listening? Could potential employees be listening? Is there press listening? Identify all of the different audiences, and then decide if its worth your time. Kelsey Meyer, Influence Co. 7. Check the Lineup I look at the lineup of speakers to see if they will be sharing fresh content that I cant get anywhere else. I also look at who will be attending the event for possible connections in business. Finally, I look at my calendar to make sure those events dont interfere with my family schedule, which is more important to me than business. Joe Barton, Barton Publishing 8. Dont Waste Your Time I go to events that are directly related to our business and those in which I have a speaking role. Otherwise, I’d rather be in my office working with my team on solving real problems. Jordan Fliegel, CoachUp, Inc. 9. Select the Opportunity That Scares You the Most When approached with speaking opportunities, I always select the one that scares me the most. While most people would say that you should select events that will highlight what you are really good at, I would disagree. Speaking opportunities are a great way to challenge your expertise and experiment with new ways of framing what you are doing. Matthew Manos, verynice 10. Use All Parts of the Buffalo If you are a serial speaker, there are many things that help decide whether or not a potential speaking gig is worth the time. Whether or not a gig is paid, you should determine what aspects of the engagement might be worth something to you beyond money. Is there a great brand you will be associated with, an excellent venue where a demo video could be filmed or a high potential for spin-off gigs? Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

6 Popular Phone Interview Questions + Tips for Answering Them

6 Popular Phone Interview Questions + Tips for Answering Them 6 Popular Phone Interview Questions + Tips for Answering Them When we are busy job searching it can often be a surprise to come up against an employer that prefers to ask you a set of phone interview questions before inviting you in for a face to face interview.While it can be tricky to know how to answer phone interview questions on the hoof, there are ways that you can help prepare yourself when life throws you this curve-ball. Not sure what the employer will ask you during this phone interview? Knowing in advance the most common questions and the best way to answer these will help you keep your cool.Common phone interview question examplesEmployers have been using telephone questions as a tool to help screen potential job candidates for years. Doing this can save the employer a lot of time and expense because they dont have to invite a lot of job candidates in for a face to face interview.Here is a good selection of the most common telephone interview questions usually asked. Most likely you will not be asked every single question in this list, but it helps to be prepared:Are you happy working in a team?Can you tell me about yourself?Do you have any questions for me?What are you looking for in your next job?What attracted you to our company?What do you do in your current role?What do you know about our company?What made you leave your last position?What notice do you need to give?Where did you see this job advert?Why are you interested in this position?Why do you believe you are the best candidate for the job?What the interviewer is looking forWhile it can be very helpful to have an idea about the sort of questions you may be asked, it is not just about your answers that counts â€" it is also about how you respond and deliver your reply.The employer will be screening you for risk, so, for example, you may answer the questions correctly, but you may come across as nervous or hesitant, which can be a red flag to an interviewer, especially if the job that you are applying for involves using the telephone.If you are app lying for a position on a sales team, the employer will be looking for someone that is confident over the phone and can communicate well and hold a good dialogue with the caller.How to answer phone interview questionsMany of the most common questions that are listed above only need a straightforward answer, such as if you are asked where you saw this job advertised, etc.The employer may have advertised the job across several platforms, so asking where you saw the job ad will give them a bit of useful feedback about their advertising reach, so it may not be specifically about you.So lets take a look at how to answer some of the more involved and complicated questions so that you come across as a strong and confident job candidate.Q: Are you happy working in a team?This question is a common one for a manager that is looking for a good fit for their existing team. The recruiter will want to be sure that you will be happy to work as part of a tight-knit team and can work well with other s.With your answer here it does help to be honest. If you are a very independent worker that likes to have total control over everything you do, then maybe working in a team isnt a good fit for you.There is little point answering this question in a way that you know they want to hear. If you dont work well as part of a team, how happy are you going to be in the role? How long will it be before you are looking elsewhere for another job?Q: Do you have any questions for me?This is a great opportunity for you to discover whether this job and the day to day duties it involves is the right move for you.Dont just be polite and refuse the offer of asking questions. The interviewer will want to see if you are interested in working for the company by asking this question.It would be helpful to prepare a couple of good questions to ask in advance should this situation crop up. Your questions should be around the company culture, the team you will be working with or your future line manager.It can help to have a notepad and pen with you during your interview so that you can jot down any questions that pop up in your head as the interviewer is talking to you. Your questions will show them that you have been listening and will help with your engagement.Q: What are you looking for in your next job?This is a question that is often asked and it sets the expectation of what you are prepared to do in your role while working for them. It helps here to align your answers to the companys goal for the candidate they want to recruit.You can be honest here if you are looking for a job that is more of a challenge or offers more career prospects than your current role.This shows the interviewer that you are keen to take on more responsibilities and want to work hard to achieve your career goals that will lead to a future promotion, which will be good for the companys productivity levels and internal targets.Q: What do you know about our company?Your interviewer will want to know if you have done your homework. Remember that they will be looking for a strong candidate that wants to work for the company rather than someone that is simply looking for any old job.From the interviewers point of view, they will want to find a candidate that is as passionate about the company as they are and believes in the same things.Try to avoid repeating word for word what is on the company about us page. Instead, choose two qualities that the company stands for that you agree with and can align with. This could be anything from the positive company culture to their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.Talk about how these things resonate with you and how you admire their commitment to a cause, charity or movement.Q: Why did you leave your last job?Asking why you left your last job will tell the interviewer a lot about your attitude and work ethic.Again, you should be honest if you left under a cloud or you were terminated. You can explain that the job wasnt the right fit fo r you without badmouthing your last employer.You can briefly explain why you were let go and how you have learned from the experience and what steps you have taken to address any issues to make yourself a stronger candidate.Never be tempted to talk negatively about your boss or any individual person from your previous company. This doesnt come across as being very professional and can put the interviewer off your application.If you were laid off or lost your job through restructuring, this wasnt your fault so you have nothing to feel guilty about. This happens a lot in business so the interviewer will understand.Q: Why do you think you are the best candidate for this job?This question is one of the most common ones to be asked in a telephone interview. It also gives you a chance for a bit of self-promotion to help you stand out from the other job candidates.Remember that there will be plenty of adequately qualified candidates trying out for this role. It is your job to show the inte rviewer what makes you better than the rest and why you are worth considering.Ask yourself what is the one thing that you have or can do that no one else will bring to the table? Showcase your talent and run with it to get your foot in the door for a face to face interview.More phone interview tipsWe hope that you find our phone interview question tips useful, but before you can even get the chance of having a telephone interview, you need to impress with your resume.Because your resume only has a few short seconds to grab the attention of an employer, you need to give yourself the very best chance of landing a telephone interview by sending a resume that stands out from the crowd.Employers will work through an average of 10 resumes every minute as they quickly scan over your information. Your resume needs to be able to catch and hold their attention if you want the chance of getting it into the interview pile.While it can take hours to write your own resume from scratch, unless you do it right the first time, you wont get the chance of an interview.So what can you do to make those precious few seconds count? Use one of the best resume templates from Freesumes to make your job application stand head and shoulders above your competition.Using one of our well-crafted resume templates and cover letters will send the right message to the employer that shows you mean business. previous article The Remotiq A Reserved Professional Resume Template in Quiet Colors next article A Brilliant Dental Assistant Resume Example Plus Writing Tips you might also likeWhy Do You Want to Work Here? Best Answers to This Interview Question

How to Put LinkedIn on Resume

How to Put LinkedIn on ResumeHow to put LinkedIn on resume? This is one of the most asked questions by those who work for networking websites. The basic reason why you should place LinkedIn on resume is to enhance your knowledge and experience as well as attract more potential employers. The following explanation will tell you why you should not miss to place LinkedIn on resume.Let us discuss how to put LinkedIn on resume so that you can have a better job search. You can do this by writing down all the valuable information that you have gained in your LinkedIn profile. Before doing so, you need to check if all the information about you are still accurate because every employer will want to check up your profile.The major benefit of LinkedIn is that it helps you get in touch with your friends, colleagues and people from outside. This helps to increase your presence as well as the popularity of your website. The LinkedIn page also gives an opportunity to get in touch with new people as well as helps you organize yourself and build confidence. It is a fantastic place where you can find like minded people and you can easily communicate with them.So, how to put LinkedIn on resume? The first step is to contact your friends and colleagues. These people could be your former colleagues, former employers or anyone who can be useful to you.Once you contact them, ask them to provide you with their contact information such as name, contact number, email address and so on. Do not forget to include their LinkedIn profiles on your resume. In the same way, you can also list the amount of time you spent on LinkedIn. Remember, you should not forget to include this information on your resume.The next step is to ask these people for providing you with some of their online forums where you can join and exchange some information with them. If possible, post your LinkedIn profile at these forums. Use the information that you have gained from these forums. If possible, also check the i nformation provided by these people to find out what they have posted.After you have completed this process, you can now post your LinkedIn profile. You can also use the information that you have acquired through forums and discussion groups to complete your resume. This will help you to have a good look at the popularity of your LinkedIn page.Now that you know how to put LinkedIn on resume, make sure that you follow the mentioned steps. Remember that LinkedIn is not just a site to get in touch with your friends and colleagues, but it is a site to get in touch with many employers who are looking for professionals to do work for them.

5 Ways to Keep Calm and Reduce Stress Under Tight Deadlines - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching

5 Ways to Keep Calm and Reduce Stress Under Tight Deadlines - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching Keep calm and carry on is what we’re all told to do, but it’s easier said than done. To give yourself the best possible chance of performing at your optimum take a look at the top 5 ways you can keep calm and reduce your stress. That way when the deadlines are looming you’ll have nothing to fear and plenty more energy to expend on the task at hand. Never Worry About What You’re Not Doing Something that we’ve all experienced is the feeling of being paralyzed by the sheer amount of stuff we have yet to do. Obsessing about everything on your to-do list may make it look like you’re abreast of all the fine details, but it will use up valuable time and energy that you simply cannot afford to waste. If you want to be able to stay calm as your deadlines move ever closer, then you need to focus all of your efforts on living in the here and now. No matter what you have to get done you should only focus on one thing at a time. Simply by admitting that you can only do one thing at a time you will be able to focus your mind on the task at hand. Not only does this allow you to give everything your best. It also allows you to move through each step of the process without wasting time by going back and forth or jumping from one task to the next. Keep Calm and Listen to What Your Body Tells You The world of work is awash with productivity apps that try and schedule every second of your day for you, but there’s something more fundamental you need to pay attention to first. Your body is what allows your mind to function at its optimum. If you don’t fuel yourself correctly and get sufficient rest then you’ll feel the downsides sooner rather than later. Everyone will pull the odd all-nighter at least once in their lifetime, and the day after is often not all that bad if you can nap. What you need to avoid though is letting these types of extended efforts become the norm or the done thing. If you repeatedly skip meals, eat poorly, and stay up late working on your latest project then you’ll quickly see a steep drop off in your productivity. Keep calm and take the time to rest and eat. It seems like it will slow things down because it removes you from the working environment, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rest, sleep, eat, and the work will get done a lot more efficiently when you get back to work. Learn more with our 4 ways to deal with stress at work. Focus On What You Can Do Not every project or deadline is as achievable as you first thought, and there’s nothing wrong with being honest and transparent about that. By all means push a little harder and work a little longer than you otherwise would. But don’t drive yourself to the breaking point if doing so will still leave you a long way short of your deadline. If you want to keep calm and stay grounded then focus on what you can do, and put what you can’t to one side. By taking a proactive approach to reporting to your superiors and delegating to your staff you’ll be able to keep everyone in the loop. That way you don’t have to run around at the last minute whilst everyone else acts surprised that a few little bits and pieces need some extra attention. By concentrating on what you can do you’ll be able to give those parts of the project your full attention so that you can make some much-needed progress. Without this approach you’ll find that you won’t get anything done at all as the stress grows. Be Realistic About What You Can Achieve Realism is the name of the game when it comes to coping with stress and pressure. If you want to get things done, then you need to set yourself realistic goals for their completion times. Drawing up a to-do list or schedule is a great way to get started, but keep it realistic. Setting time blocks allows you to focus your efforts when you need to. But remember that by setting unrealistically close completion dates you’re just adding to the pressure that will be mounting as the deadlines loom. A smart approach is to estimate how long you think you can do it if everything goes fine, and then add on half as much time again. That way you’ll have some built in contingency that will allow you to change things up as and when you need to. The other thing that you may want to consider is whether or not you can do parts of certain overlapping tasks in parallel. Setting up your day so that you can work a little longer if it moves two things along in tandem can be a great way to make considerable progress. You may also find it quite refreshing to be able to focus on something a little different at the end of those kinds of days. Break Things Up Into Manageable Tasks The final stress-busting tip is all about moving things along in small manageable steps. If you constantly flip between the deadline and the final deliverable, then your stress is certain to grow and grow with every passing day. What you need to do is break things up, take it step by step, and celebrate the small wins along the way. The great thing about this approach is that you can start to think about the big picture before you even get started. Figuring out what the intermediate steps are is a great way to flag up any potential bottlenecks well in advance so that you can plan accordingly. It will also allow you to feel in control because you’ll be doing something proactive to take command of the situation from the off. It will also allow you to have a clear plan of action that you can refer back to on those days when you feel stressed and in need of a little reassurance. Small tasks are also quicker and easier to complete than huge tasks, this much we do know for certain. This means that you’ll be able to make more apparent progress by ticking off those small wins as you move closer to completion. Youll keep calm and your confidence and motivation will increase as you see yourself making progress. The great thing about this is that your stress levels will drop without you even realizing it. Final Thoughts When you want to keep calm and take control, it’s all about keeping on top of your stress levels. You can do this by listening to your body and getting the rest and nutrition that you need to stay on top of things. Once you do that you’ll find it much easier to focus on what you can do, break things up into small manageable tasks, and stay living in the here and now. Author Bio Kristin Savage has graduated from Columbia University where she was majoring in Germanic Languages. Besides English as her mother tongue she also speaks German and Dutch fluently. Currently Kristin is studying Spanish and planning to obtain her PhD in Applied Linguistics since she is interested in how to use her to some extent practical knowledge of language processes in everyday life. She has been a writer for a few years and is known for her thorough approach to all the tasks and aspiration to fulfill assignments with flying colors. By Wolfgang Career Coaching|2019-01-31T02:01:33+00:00November 7th, 2018|Performance|0 Comments

Excellent Employees The Driving Force Behind Any Successful Business - CareerAlley

Excellent Employees The Driving Force Behind Any Successful Business - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Every thriving business has a great workforce behind it- people that are motivated, committed, trustworthy and hardworking who can ensure that the daily tasks are completed to the highest standard. If youre new to business and want to improve your chances of succeeding, getting the right staff on board is one area to really focus on. But how do you attract (and keep) the best employees for your business? Here are a few ideas! Offer Good Employee Benefits You will, of course, want to offer a competitive salary since this will be the first and main thing people will be looking at when considering working for your business. But good employee benefits on top of this will make your company an attractive place to work and can help to set you apart from your competitors, therefore attracting the best potential workers. Employee benefits are things like health and life insurance, disability plans, pension, and retirement packages. You could even consider offering extras such as a company smartphone, laptop or car depending on the kinds of things your employees will need to best do their job. If youre new to business and want to improve your chances of succeeding, getting the right staff on board is one area to really focus on. Tweet This Organize Welcome Gifts Being a new employee at a workplace can be tough, and it can take a while for new workers to get into the swing of things. To boost productivity and help them to settle in quicker, why not put together a thoughtful welcome pack. This could include things like a mug, some office supplies and a selection of desks snacks- its easy and inexpensive to do as the boss and it can help them to settle quickly and feel valued as a new member of the team. Set Up a Good Office Space Since the office is where your workers will be spending most of their time, a nice space can help them feel happy and motivated. Take note from psychologists, they have shown that daylight can boost productivity levels as well as mood, so you could position desks close to windows. Living plants can also boost productivity, so dot them around on desks and around the office. Good quality equipment such as powerful computers will allow employees to do their job quickly and efficiently without being held back and slowed down. Dont Overlook Team Building Activities For the good of the company, your employees should work well together as a team as well as individually. Good communication and trust are essential for this, so in the recruitment and interview stage try to find people who have been shown to work well in groups and teams in previous roles. You could also invest in team-building activitiesfor your staff too, there are lots of companies out there who host fun team building activities that you can book for a day or a few days. Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers: 50 Exercises That Get Results in Just 15 Minutes Price: $16.74 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 Keep an Eye Out For Bullying, Harassment and Safety Bullying and harassment can cause low morale, slowed productivity and high staff turnover rate since people will quit a job if theyre unhappy with the environment. Employees arent likely to stick around if theyre experiencing unacceptable behavior from other team members. If you have a lot of workers coming and going in your company then this could be something to look in to, it could be going on and no one feels able to speak up about it. Enforce a no-bullying policy, you could set up a system where people can anonymously report issues that crop up without fear of backlash. PeopleWork: The Human Touch in Workplace Safety Price: $19.99 Workplace safety is failing. Despite better procedures now in place on the job, people are still getting hurt. The problem lies in our thinking. We must shift the focus from rules to relationships. Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 As the boss, you are also responsible for your employees health and safety, make sure these laws are followed to the letter. Workers can claim medical expenses, lost earnings and disability benefits when things go wrong so you will need to look after them for your sake and theirs. Make sure you are fully insured too, to stop you from ending up out of pocket if a claim is made. Listen to Your Workers Research into workplace attitudes has found that being a boss thats kind to staff and approachable means employees will be more likely to come to you with issues while still respecting you as the leader. Take on board the things your staff have to say, it builds trust between you and them and means you will find out about issues from lack of productivity to bullying and more early on. Being hard on your employees and being a harsh boss doesnt actually lead to better productivity. Something to bear in mind as the boss. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search